#meanwhile Ellie is panicking

[bluerosefox]

BREAKING NEWS! Youngest Wayne's Secret Lovechild?!

Teenage Ellie taking care of deaged Danny and moving to Gotham to hide from Vlad because Lady Gotham offered them sanctuary and will keep Vlad out.

BUT

Chaos is set into motion when during a Rogue attack, Damian Wayne (not as Robin at the moment) saves him and returns Danny to Ellie...

The internet/news happen because of course it did.

And people mistake Danny as his kid and Ellie his baby mama.

[00valentina-writes00]

Can you write hcs of loser Ellie with loser reader please and thank you🙏🏼

✞⛧ Dating Loser!Ellie While Being a Loser Too ✞⛧

✞⛧ You and Ellie are the type of losers who accidentally ignore each other’s texts for days, not out of malice, but because you both get lost in your own worlds—her with her guitar, you with whatever hyperfixation you’ve picked up that week. When you finally respond, it’s always a flood of memes, random thoughts, and dramatic apologies

✞⛧ The both of you overthink everything. If Ellie takes too long to respond, you start wondering if she secretly hates you. Meanwhile, Ellie is literally staring at her phone, panicking about whether her last message was too weird.

✞⛧ Your dates are always the most awkward but endearing messes. You both show up way too early, then spend ten minutes pretending you just happened to be there already.

✞⛧ Both of you are absolutely awful at flirting. If either of you try, it’s just stuttering, bad jokes, and Ellie turning bright red before changing the subject completely.

✞⛧ You’re both socially anxious, so whenever you have to order food, you’ll nudge each other like, “You do it.” “No, you do it.” “Ellie, please, I can’t talk to the cashier.”

✞⛧ Ellie definitely does that thing where she hovers near you but doesn’t say anything, hoping you’ll start the conversation so she doesn’t have to figure out how.

✞⛧ You catch each other staring constantly but both pretend like it never happened. Ellie gets caught mid-gaze and immediately looks away like she just got burned.

✞⛧ When she gets flustered, she starts rambling and overexplaining everything, then immediately groans into her hands because why did she say that?

✞⛧ You both have the worst habit of making plans and then spending the whole day hoping the other person cancels because socializing is hard, but then you see each other and suddenly it’s the best day ever.

✞⛧ Ellie always tries to impress you with her guitar skills, but if you hype her up too much, she gets all bashful and starts pretending like she’s not internally screaming from happiness.

✞⛧ You both suck at compliments. Whenever one of you says something nice, the other just stands there awkwardly before mumbling something incoherent in response.

✞⛧ Both of you are clingy but pretend not to be. If one of you pulls away first after a hug, the other spends the rest of the day sulking.

✞⛧ Whenever Ellie zones out, you know she’s just deep in thought about something dumb, like “Could a clicker learn to ride a horse?” and she will absolutely share it with you like it’s the most profound thing ever.

✞⛧ Your inside jokes make zero sense to anyone else, and half of them started from one of you mispronouncing something stupid once.

✞⛧ Neither of you can handle eye contact for too long. If you actually lock eyes for more than five seconds, you both break out into nervous giggles.

✞⛧ You both suck at confrontation, so if you ever get into a small argument, it’s just passive-aggressive meme exchanges until one of you caves and apologizes.

✞⛧ Ellie absolutely overthinks gift-giving. If she wants to give you something, she’ll spend days debating whether it’s the right thing before awkwardly shoving it into your hands and running away.

✞⛧ When Ellie gets jealous, she swears she’s not jealous, but suddenly she’s extra clingy and definitely standing closer than usual, glaring at whoever is talking to you.

✞⛧ You both have the most chaotic but wholesome cuddling dynamic. Ellie wants to be the big spoon but ends up tangling herself around you like an anxious cat instead.

✞⛧ If either of you tries to be seductive, it just turns into immediate regret and embarrassment. Ellie once tried to call you baby in a sultry voice and immediately cringed so hard she had to leave the room.

✞⛧ You both struggle with basic romantic gestures. Holding hands? Sweaty palms. Saying “I love you”? Nervous stammering. Kissing? An awkward head bump before you finally get it right.

✞⛧ Ellie makes playlists for you but never tells you outright—it’s just one day you notice she keeps humming certain songs when you’re around.

✞⛧ The first time you kissed, it was supposed to be cute and romantic, but Ellie was so nervous she missed and kissed the corner of your mouth instead. She still cringes when she remembers it.

✞⛧ If you ever wear her hoodie, Ellie has to physically restrain herself from losing her mind. She’ll act casual, but internally, she’s malfunctioning.

✞⛧ Both of you have the most intense silent conversations with just looks alone, which confuses everyone else but makes perfect sense to you.

✞⛧ Ellie lives for forehead kisses but gets so embarrassed admitting it. The first time you kissed her forehead, she literally short-circuited.

✞⛧ If you ever send her a risky text, she immediately throws her phone away and refuses to look at it for an hour.

✞⛧ You both laugh way too hard at the dumbest jokes, to the point where people think you’re drunk when you’re just stupid in love

✞⛧ Neither of you knows how to take a compliment. Ellie once tried to accept one gracefully but ended up saying “Thanks, I found it on the ground” about her own face.

✞⛧ Ellie loves sneaking up behind you and wrapping her arms around your waist, but if you ever do it to her, she literally collapses from weakness.

✞⛧ When she sleeps over, you both pretend you’re gonna go to bed early, but it turns into hours of lying there talking about the most random, stupid things.

✞⛧ Ellie lives to fluster you. If she ever gets bold enough to tease you, it’s her greatest accomplishment, even if she gets shy immediately after.

✞⛧ If you get sick, Ellie becomes way too worried, acting like you’re on your deathbed even if it’s just a mild cold.

✞⛧ You both have this awkwardly intense tension whenever you sit too close, but neither of you knows what to do with it, so you just suffer in silence.

✞⛧ Ellie would rather die than let you think she’s bad at something, so if you challenge her at a game or task, she will overcommit, even if it’s something ridiculous.

✞⛧ If you ever send her a really heartfelt text, she immediately starts overanalyzing her response to make sure she sounds just as cool and sincere (she fails).

✞⛧ Ellie definitely has a notebook filled with little sketches of you, but she’ll never let you see it unless you wrestle it away from her.

✞⛧ Even though you’re both losers, somehow, together, it just works. Ellie might be awkward and dorky, but she’s yours, and despite all the stammering, blushing, and secondhand embarrassment—you wouldn’t have it any other way.

[daryltwdixon]

Summary: You fight to survive while David closes in, the fire spreading as your last chance to escape burns away. Meanwhile, Joel is tearing through the town, leaving no one standing as he gets closer to finding you.

warnings: PLEASE HEED WARNINGS. DAVID SCENE. Scary/violent Joel!!! threats of s/a!!!

a/n: so sorry we're taking all of Ellie's trauma and dumping it on fmc

Joel

He knows his knuckles are bloody. He’s just not sure whose blood it is anymore.

The man beneath him gurgles on his own breath, barely conscious, his face an unrecognizable mess of blood and swelling. Joel barely registers the pained moans, the way his own fingers throb from the repeated impact. There’s nothing but the pulse of rage in his veins, steady, unrelenting.

A voice shouts from behind him, panicked. “Jesus Christ, stop! ”

Joel exhales sharply through his nose, flexing his fingers as he straightens. The man beneath him slumps sideways, too broken to move, still sputtering wet, gurgled breaths through split lips.

Joel grunts, pressing a hand to his side where the wound still screams at him. Doesn’t matter. He pushes to his feet, stepping over the barely-breathing heap at his feet, and turns to the other man.

This one is tied up. Arms pulled back, wrists bound tight. Feet lashed to the chair legs, chest heaving with each quick, panicked breath. He won’t be moving anytime soon.

Joel grabs the knife you left him and a chair, planting himself directly in front of the man.

“Now,” he says, his voice rough, deadly, “the girls. Are they alive?”

The man shakes his head frantically, “What girls? I don’t know no girls.”

Why did they always do that? Pretend they don’t know? Like lying was going to do them any good. Like it was going to save them.

In one fluid motion, he lifts the knife— and slams it down into the top of the man’s knee.

A sickening crunch, the squelch of metal sinking into flesh, and then a scream.

The man lurches forward in agony, his body jerking violently against the restraints, his legs spasming as he tries—fails—to move away from the pain.

Joel leans in close, his breath fogging in the cold air between them. He slaps the man’s face once—not hard, just enough to force his eyes open, to force him to look at him.

“ Focus, right here,” Joel says, his voice low and steady. “Or I’ll pop your goddamn knee off.”

He’d do it. Wouldn’t think twice.

The man gasps, sweat slicking his forehead despite the cold. His body shakes violently, his teeth chattering, his breathing uneven. “Alive,” he stammers, barely getting the word out. “They’re alive.” His breath shudders. “The one—the one is David’s new pet.”

Pet.

Joel goes still.

That awful word lingers in the air, curling around his ribcage like something poisonous, something dark.

“The older one, the p—pretty—”

The man swallows, eyes darting wildly over Joel’s face, realizing too late what he just said.

Joel twists the knife in his leg without hesitation.

The scream is hoarse, raw, breaking apart on the man’s tongue. He thrashes against the chair, but Joel just leans in,pushing the blade deeper, twisting slow.

“ Where? ” he growls.

The cold fog of his breath coils between them, but Joel doesn’t feel the cold anymore. He doesn’t feel anything anymore.

The man whimpers, his jaw clenching against the pain, but he hesitates—so Joel twists the handle again.

“The town!” he chokes. “It’s a lodge! It’s—it’s in the town!”

Joel stares at him for a long moment, then wrenches the knife free in one brutal yank. Blood pools red on the man's jeans, as he cries out, his head falling back as his body convulses from the shock of pain. 

Joel’s expression doesn’t change. Calmly, he lifts the blood-slick knife and presses the hilt of the handle against the man’s lips.

The man flinches, eyes wide in terror, but Joel leans closer, his voice cold and steady. Slowly, he reaches into his back pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper. He takes his time unfolding it, letting the silence stretch, letting the weight of inevitability settle over the room like a thick fog. The map opens in front of the man’s trembling gaze, but Joel doesn’t hand it to him. 

“You’re gonna mark it on the map,” Joel says, “And it better be the same exact spot as your buddy points to.”

The man hesitates, his entire body trembling. Joel doesn’t move, doesn’t blink, just watches—waiting. The silence stretches, thick with menace.

Finally, with a shuddering breath, the man leans forward. His lips tremble around the handle of the knife, blood smeared across his chin as he tilts it just enough to tap the map with the slick, crimson-stained tip.

Then, with a wet gag, he spits the knife onto the floor, his breath coming in sharp, wheezing gasps.

“Right there,” the man gasps out, his breath coming in sharp little sobs. “You can verify it—go ask him, he’ll tell you. I ain’t lyin.”

Joel tilts his head slightly, considering the man’s words. He doesn’t speak right away, letting the silence stretch uncomfortably as he eyes the bloodied map. Then, as if coming to a decision, he steps around the chair with deliberate, measured movements, his boots crunching softly on the blood-slick floor.

The man’s breath quickens, his head twisting to follow Joel’s movements, panic flaring in his eyes.

Joel stops behind him, looming like a shadow. The man barely has time to choke out a wheeze of protest before Joel’s arm snakes around his neck in one fluid motion.

His forearm presses tight against the man’s windpipe, the crook of his elbow locking into place. Joel’s other hand clamps down on his wrist, securing the hold as he leans his weight into the man.

The man thrashes, his legs kicking wildly, the chair scraping against the floor in a desperate attempt to free himself. Joel doesn’t flinch. His grip is unrelenting, his body steady as he tightens the chokehold with practiced precision.

The man’s body jerks, legs spasming, chair rattling wildly against the floor. Joel doesn’t flinch, doesn’t hesitate. He just holds, his grip unwavering, his biceps flexed tight like a vice.

The thrashing slows.

The body goes slack.

The other man, now awake and still slumped on the floor, watches in horror, his bruised and bloodied face draining of color. His breath is shaky, his words tumbling out in panic.

“What the fuck? He told you what you wanted! ” The man shouts back frantically, shaking his head. “I ain’t tellin’ you shit, man! ”

Joel just looks at him, exhaustion creeping back into his body as he breathes deeply. 

“That’s okay,” he murmurs, reaching down to pick up a metal pipe from the floor, testing the weight of it in his hand.

His dark eyes flick up, locking onto the man in a stare so cold it could freeze fire.

“I believe him.”

The man barely has time to scream before Joel swings.

The pipe connects with his skull in a brutal arc.

You

The door bursts open, crashing against the wall as two figures storm inside. You flinch back against the cold iron bars, dread sinking deep in your stomach.

James and David. And from the look on their faces, they weren’t here to talk.

David moves fast, striding to the cage with purpose, his grip sure as he wrenches the door open. The screech of metal barely registers before hands are on you, dragging you forward.

"No!" you scream, scrambling back, but there’s nowhere to go. "No! Please!"

They don’t care.

Their hands clamp around your arms, lifting you like you weigh nothing. You twist, kick, fight, but it doesn’t matter. They haul you onto the butcher’s table, slamming you down hard. Your breath stutters, panic clawing its way through your chest as David leans over you, his bloodied arm braced against your shoulder.

The butcher knife gleams in his hand, raised high above your head.

"Stop! Stop! STOP!" you scream, voice cracking under the sheer force of it.

Nothing.

Desperation pushes the words from your mouth before you can think. "The girl—the little girl—she's infected!"

David’s hand stops, the blade hovering midair. His breathing is steady, but his grip tightens, his eyes narrowing as he studies you.

"That where you got that bite?" you ask him, glancing down at his own arm. The dried blood is smeared along his sleeve, the wound jagged, unmistakably human. Small, like a child’s.

James shifts uneasily beside him. "David, they've been here for hours. Everyone infected dies within a few hours of being bitten, there's no way—"

"Go check her. I swear it," you say, voice breathless, desperate.

David’s fingers twitch against the hilt of the knife. His gaze flickers to the door, then back to his own wound, brows knitting together.

Now or never.

Your fingers wrap around the handle of the butcher knife still buried in the table beside your head. Before either of them even registers the movement, you rip it free and swing.

It sinks deep into James's neck.

The sound is wet, sickening, flesh giving way under the force. His body jerks violently as he chokes on the blood bubbling up his throat, but you don’t stop to watch. You throw yourself off the table, legs almost giving beneath you as you stumble forward.

Gunshots ring out, deafening, but you don’t stop. You tear through the door, sprinting with everything you have, your lungs burning as bullets punch into the walls behind you.

Where was Ellie? Would you reach her in time? What had they done to her?

The only thing you knew for sure was that you had to keep running.

Joel

Trudging through the knee-deep snow, Joel pushes forward against the howling wind, his body stiff with cold and exhaustion. The blizzard is relentless, whipping sharp gusts of ice into his face, but he doesn’t slow. The town appears through the white haze, its buildings standing silent and lifeless, stripped of the warmth and movement that once made it livable.

No fires. No voices. No signs of life.

His boots crunch against frozen ground as he moves down the empty street, scanning for anything—any sign of you or Ellie. Every door he passes is locked, every window dark, until finally, he finds one that gives under his grip.

The air inside is just as cold, but at least the wind is gone. He flicks on his flashlight, sweeping it across the room, taking in the empty shelving, the dust, the quiet. It looks like storage. Nothing unusual. But then something catches his eye, and his stomach drops.

Two backpacks, slumped against the far wall.

One bigger. One smaller, with a decorative chain dangling from the zipper.

Yours and Ellie’s.

Joel’s breath leaves him in a slow, heavy exhale. What the hell?

He strides forward, kneeling to grab them, fingers clenching tightly around the straps before slinging them over his shoulder. The weight of them makes something cold settle deep in his chest.

Moving deeper into the building, his boots echo too loudly in the empty space. Then he sees it—streaks of blood on the floor. Fresh.

His flashlight follows the trail, his pulse hammering in his ears. His grip tightens around his rifle as he steps forward, pushing open another door.

He sweeps the beam of light ahead, following the source.

Callus.

The horse lies motionless on the ground, dark blood staining the floor beneath him. Joel turns away from the sight, jaw tightening. He had been a good horse. He had gotten all of you through miles and miles, through danger, through the worst of it. And now…

Joel swallows hard and keeps moving. Then, he stops dead.

His light catches something hanging from the ceiling.

Butcher hooks.

Bodies hang upside down, drained of blood, limp and lifeless. Human bodies.

His stomach turns violently, and for a moment, he thinks he might throw up, but he forces himself to breathe through it, forces himself to look.

None of them are fresh. None of them are you or Ellie.

His breath returns in a sharp, ragged inhale, his hands flexing around his rifle. He didn’t have time to process this.

He had to find you. He had to find you now.

You

The dining space you slip into is dim, the day outside slipping into darkness as you stumble through the door. Lantern light flickers weakly against the walls, casting long, wavering shadows. You race to the opposite door, grabbing the handles and pulling with all your strength.

Just as it opens, a body slams into you, sending you sprawling backward.

David.

His hands are on your neck before you can react, squeezing as you thrash against him. You lurch to the side, toppling the lanterns by the door. The glass shatters, spilling flames onto the carpet, and the fire ignites with alarming speed.

Luckily, it’s enough of a distraction, and you wrench free from David's grip, diving behind the tables, your breath coming in panicked gasps.

“Come on, sweetheart,” he calls, his voice maddeningly calm. “You can still make it up to me.” He shuts the door behind him, locking it with a deliberate click. “No way out. I’ve got the keys.”

Your stomach twists as another voice calls out, startling you.

Then, movement. A soft, strained sound—almost a groan.

You turn your head just enough to see past the overturned chairs, past the flickering glow of fire spreading along the walls. And that’s when you see her.

Ellie.

She’s slumped in a chair, arms yanked behind her, ankles bound to the legs.

Your breath catches, a cold wave of panic washing over you.

She’s tied up. She’s here.

David follows your gaze, his expression softening in mock sympathy. “She sure fights hard to stay alive for someone who’s infected, huh?”

Your eyes dart to Ellie. She looks unharmed, barely bruised. Relief washes over you, but it’s short-lived. You duck into the kitchen, out of sight, searching for something— anything —to use. Your fingers wrap around a knife in one of the drawers, and you crouch behind the counter, your breaths shallow.

“I’ve changed my mind, you know,” David calls out, his voice soft, coaxing. “Like I said, you can make it up to me. I don’t want either of us dying today.”

The heat clings to your skin, the fire roaring louder as smoke begins to fill the room.

“I can teach you,” he says, and your heart seizes as you realize how close he is. His voice is gentle, coaxing—almost tender.

“We can be together. I’ll show you the way. I’ll protect you.”

Then, casually, like it means nothing, he adds, “The little girl, Ellie… she can stay too.”

Ice floods your veins.

You don’t want to know how he learned her name.

Your breath shudders out, but you don’t respond.

He calls your name instead, rolling it over his tongue like he enjoys the taste of it, his voice sickly sweet.

And then you see him ahead of you.

You don’t hesitate.

With a sharp cry, you lunge, driving the knife deep into his gut.

“Fuck!” David shouts, stumbling backward and shoving you away.

You dive behind the counter again, your breaths coming in ragged gasps. Ellie starts to stir, her head lolling to the side as she blinks into consciousness. You had to get to her. Untie her. Get the hell out of here.

The crunch of glass underfoot draws David’s attention. “Not so sneaky now, are you?” he snarls, his voice dangerously close. You leap out of the way, darting toward Ellie.

Her eyes snap open as you reach her, and she looks at you in wide-eyed horror. “What the fuck?” she whispers. Silently, you press a finger to your lips to silence her.

Carefully, you kneel by her chair, working quickly at the knots binding her. “Are you okay?” you whisper, barely audible over the crackling flames.

Ellie nods, her gaze darting to your face. “Your head—”

“I’m fine,” you cut her off, your fingers fumbling with the rope. “We need to get—”

“LOOK OUT!” Ellie screams, her eyes going wide.

You spin just as David grabs you, yanking you away from her.

You hit the ground hard, the air knocked from your lungs. His hands are on you again, scrabbling for purchase as you kick at him wildly. One kick connects with his wrist, and his knife goes skittering across the floor.

But he’s too strong, climbing on top of you and keeping you down as your lungs burn with smoke and panic.

“Stop! No!” Ellie screams, her voice breaking.

“Knew she’d make a great trap,” David says, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe you’d fall for something so silly. You buck and thrash, but he’s too heavy, his hands locking yours above your head.

“Oh,” David murmurs with a sick grin, his face so close you can feel the warmth of his breath—tangy and repulsive. “Wasn’t it clear enough, honey?”

He presses your body down with his, grip bruising, a suffocating weight on top of you. His eyes glint with sadistic glee as he leans in closer, his voice dropping to an almost intimate murmur.

“I like when they fight,” he says, the words curling in your ears like poison.

Bile rises in your throat, your stomach heaving with revulsion. Tears stream down the sides of your face, warm trails cutting through the dirt and blood smearing your skin. You continue to buck and thrash against him, your body fighting even as your mind screams in panic.

His grip shifts slightly, one of your hands slipping free—but not because you’re winning.

His hand moves to his belt, the sharp click of the buckle snapping open. The sound is deafening, louder than the roaring fire, louder than the pounding of your own frantic heartbeat. Your body screams in terror, every nerve alight with desperation. Your hand that’s free scrapes against the floor above your head, and your fingers graze something solid. Cold, metal— the knife.

Adrenaline surges, hot and fierce.

You grip the handle, your knuckles white as you lift it with every ounce of strength left in your body.

He doesn’t notice.

Not until the blade bites deep into his neck with a sickening crunch of flesh and bone.

David roars, the sound guttural and inhuman as his body jerks to the side. Blood spurts from the wound, hot and sticky, spraying across your skin. 

But you don’t stop.

The fire is in you now—burning hotter than the flames licking the walls around you. You scramble on top of him as he clutches at his throat, his eyes wide with shock and fury.

Your arms rise and fall, the knife sinking into his chest, his neck, his stomach. Over and over again, the blade finds flesh, spraying blood that coats your hands, your clothes, your face.

Your screams tear through the air, raw and guttural, blending with the crackling fire and the wet, sickening sounds of the blade meeting his body.

Years of rage pour into every swing—years of fear, loneliness, grief, and helplessness. Every time you’ve been scared, every time you’ve been hurt, every time someone you loved was taken from you, it all comes pouring out.

David’s struggles weaken, his arms twitching feebly at his sides. Blood pools beneath him, soaking the floor, thick and dark.

Still, you don’t stop. You can’t.

You hear Ellie’s voice shouting for you, maybe it’s your name or for you to stop, you have no idea. It’s like your underwater. All you know is that he can’t hurt you. Can’t hurt Ellie. 

Hands grab you from behind, strong and unrelenting, and you scream again, your voice raw and desperate. Your muscles seize, your mind snapping into panic. Another one?

You twist violently, throwing yourself off of David’s lifeless body as you turn to face whoever had grabbed you. One of his men, surely. Come to finish the job.

Your vision swims, tears and blood blurring the firelit room as your thoughts race. Was this it? After everything? All the fighting, all the blood spilled—you’re still going to lose?

But the grip on you doesn’t tighten. It doesn’t hurt.

“It’s me! It’s me! Hey!”

The voice cuts through the haze, rough but familiar, and the roaring in your ears falters.

Brown eyes come into view, steady and intent, grounding you like an anchor in a storm. Your whole body trembles, the firelight flickering around you, but all you can see is him.

Joel.

“He—” you choke out, your voice cracking as tears spill down your face in hot, messy streaks. “He was going to—”

“I know,” Joel says, his voice thick and hoarse, every word laced with an urgency that breaks something inside you. “I know, baby girl. Come here.”

He drops to his knees with you, his arms wrapping around you so tightly it feels like he’s holding you together, keeping you from falling apart completely. His hand presses against the back of your head, cradling you to his chest, the other curling protectively around your trembling body.

“It’s okay,” he murmurs into your hair, his voice low and steady, as if saying it enough times could make it true. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you. You’re okay now.”

You sob into him, the sound raw and jagged, your fists clutching weakly at the front of his jacket as if he might vanish if you let go. His scent—wood and sweat and something achingly familiar—grounds you in a way nothing else could.

“I thought—” The words catch in your throat, choking on the weight of everything you can’t say.

“I know,” Joel says again, pulling you even closer. His voice wavers for just a moment, a crack in his armor that only you can hear. “I’m here now. It’s over. You’re safe.”

Your fingers curl tighter into his jacket as sobs wrack your body. The fire roars around you, the heat blistering, but all you feel is Joel—his arms, his voice, the steady, unyielding presence of him.

“You came,” you whisper brokenly, your words muffled against his chest.

“’Course I did,” he breathes, his lips brushing against the crown of your head. “I’ll always come for you. Always.”

For a moment, the world narrows to just the two of you. The fire, the smoke, the terror—it all fades, drowned out by the steady thrum of Joel’s heart against your cheek.

He pulls back just enough to cup your face in his hands, his thumbs brushing the tears and blood from your cheeks. His dark eyes meet yours, filled with something you can’t name—something close to love, close to desperation.

“Let me see you,” he says softly, his voice breaking. “You’re hurt—look at me.”

But you shake your head, your hands clutching at his wrists. “We need to get Ellie,” you whisper, your voice trembling with urgency.

Joel’s jaw tightens, his gaze flickering toward the flames. He nods, his hands never leaving you.

“We’ll get her,” he says, his voice resolute. “We’ll get her, and we’ll get the hell out of here.”

But for a moment longer, he doesn’t move. He stays there, holding you like he’s afraid to let go, his thumb tracing slow, grounding circles over your jaw. It soothes the rawness in your throat, the tremors in your hands—but the fire is rising, and Ellie is still tied to that damn chair.

Then, through the crackling flames, you hear her voice.

“Joel?!”

Her shout is hoarse but strong, cutting through the suffocating heat. The sheer relief in it sends a fresh surge of urgency through your veins.

You scramble to your feet, Joel right behind you, both of you moving as one.

Her wide eyes lock onto the two of you, flickering between your bloodstained clothes and the fire eating away at the walls. Her face is flushed from the heat, but she’s alert, unharmed.

Joel is already at her side, his hands working quickly at the ropes binding her. “You okay?” he grunts, his voice raw but steady.

Ellie nods quickly, wriggling against the restraints. “Yeah— yeah! Let’s get the hell out of here before any of those crazy fucks comes back.”

Joel gets the last of the rope undone, his hands shaking slightly as he grips her shoulder. “Can you run?”

Ellie scoffs, though there’s a slight tremor in her voice. “Duh.”

“Then let’s go,” Joel says, standing and pulling her up with ease. “Now.”

The fire has spread fast—too fast. Thick black smoke curls toward the ceiling, swallowing the room, the heat clawing at your skin. The building groans around you, wooden beams splitting as the flames eat their way upward.

Joel grabs Ellie’s hand, then reaches for yours, gripping it tightly.

“Stay with me,” he growls over the roar of the fire.

You don’t let go as the three of you run.

Bursting through the burning wreckage, into the icy cold, into whatever comes next—together.

[bet-on-me-13]

Ellie worked undercover at Cadmus

So, Ellie has grown up and become an Adult living on her own by now.

She is doing her best to make the most out of her life. She went to school, graduated from College, and even got a Job.

She grew up in a Lab, and learned quite a bit about Genetic Engineering over the course of her life both before and after escaping (Both from Vlad, and from Danny during that Point in time where they were trying to permanently stabilize her).

So, when she gets an offer to join a new start-up Company called Cadmus, she jumped at the opportunity to use her Knowledge to help others. (She was told it was a Research Company that used Genetic Engineering to make medicines)

It wasn't until she had already signed the NDA that she figured out that this was an Illegal Cloning Lab.

Thankfully, she was immune to the Mind Control that they had tried to use on all of the Scientists to make them okay with all of the illegal shit, but she still had to play the part so she could help the poor clones who would be created in this project.

She went Undercover for years. Any time a Clone was deemed a "Failure", she would try her best to save them. She did manage to save a few, sending them to Danny so he could help them find a home, but unfortunately she couldn't save them all.

After a few years, the other scientists began to stress out. The K-Series had been a total failure so far, and none of the Clones had even come close to being Viable. Even the most successful one, identified as Match, couldn't come close to being called an actual success.

So, they went a different route. If Kryptonian DNA didn't want to be Cloned, then maybe they could splice it with some other DNA and force it to work with them?

The Scientists began splicing Human DNA into the Genome, running trials to see if it would be Viable at all before even attempting to create a Full Clone. And they did find some success, preliminary tests showed that Human DNA was uniquely adaptable when it came to splicing, and theoretically it could be used to make a Fully Viable Clone!

When Luthor heard of this, he deemed that nobody aside from himself was worthy of being the "Father", and gave his own DNA to the Scientists to use for the Experiment.

Ellie was put in charge of transporting the DNA to the Lab, but in a random accident (we both know it wasn't, Clockwork), she ends up dropping the Sample. In a rush, she just puts some of her own Blood into the Vial and gives it to the Scientists working on the Gene Splicing Project. (She was panicking, ok?! Nobody would be able to work in a lab like this without getting a little bit of anxiety, and she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep in days at that point!)

They are thrilled! They don't know why, but Mr Luthor's DNA was so much better at Splicing than any other Human DNA they had ever tested before. He was certainly right about his own DNA being the beat suited for the Job!

Ellie meanwhile is having a bit of a meltdown. She can't believe she just gave them some of her DNA! And they already used it to make a Fetus! She's a mother now! She never wanted to be a Mom!

But she guesses that none of that matters anymore. She's has a son now, and she needs to get him out of there. But how to do it? As the only successful K-Series Clone, he was under the most heavily guarded security imaginable, so there was absolutely no way she would ever be able to sneak him out of there. Even if she used her powers, the Security was primed to scan for any and all foreign energy signatures, even Ecto Energy.

So for now, she was stuck. She couldn't break him out, and she also couldn't just leave the Company and let them abuse all those poor clones like that! She just needed to wait for the right opportunity to get her son out of there, even if it meant that she would have to stay behind.

It wasn't until a team of errant Sidekicks broke into the Lab a few years later, that she had a way out for her son.

[prettymfwrites]

I'm Here

Ellie x Reader

TW: violence, mentions of wounds

Switch POVs alot 😓

ELLIE'S POV:

The storm clouds that had threatened all morning now loomed heavy over Jackson as Dina came stumbling through the gates, panic etched across her face.

"I lost her!" Dina's voice cracked as she tried to explain, her breaths coming in gasps. "We were on patrol, everything was fine, and then... I don't know. I lost contact with her. I've been searching, but I can't find Y/N!"

Ellie froze mid-step, her blood turning cold at Dina's words. The rest of the group—Joel, Maria, Jesse—gathered quickly, concern rippling through the air like a lightning strike.

"Where?" Ellie demanded, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion.

"An old warehouse, a couple miles east," Dina said, guilt written all over her face. "We split up to check different sections, and when I called out, she didn’t answer.”

Ellie didn’t wait for more details. Her boots hit the ground hard as she sprinted toward the stables, her mind racing.

---

Y/N'S POV:

Meanwhile, Y/N crouched low behind a metal shelf in the dimly lit warehouse. Her breaths came shallow and quick as she clutched a jagged piece of glass in her trembling hands.

David's footsteps echoed ominously through the building, his cruel voice cutting through the silence like a blade.

"You're a tough one, aren't you?" he taunted, his tone sickly sweet. "But you can’t hide forever, sweetheart. Come out, and I might go easy on you."

Y/N bit her lip to stifle a sob, her heart pounding in her chest. She refused to give him the satisfaction of her fear. She tightened her grip on the glass, determined to make him regret ever laying a hand on her.

The air in the abandoned warehouse was stifling, thick with dust and the stench of decay. Y/N crouched low behind a rusted shelf, her breath hitching as David’s footsteps echoed closer. Her hand trembled as she clutched a jagged piece of broken glass she’d found on the floor.

She had been lucky to escape his initial grab, twisting out of his grasp when he lunged at her in the dark. Now, she was running out of options—and energy.

“Come on now, don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” David called out, his voice dripping with cruel amusement. “You’re only making me more excited. I like a little fight.”

Y/N clamped a hand over her mouth, trying to silence her shallow, panicked breathing. Her heart thundered in her chest, each beat a countdown to when he would find her.

“Think about it,” he continued, his boots crunching over broken debris as he prowled closer. “No one’s coming for you. It’s just you and me, sweetheart. We could have some real fun…”

She clenched her jaw, fury momentarily overtaking her fear. She wouldn’t let him win. Not like this.

David suddenly kicked over a stack of crates, the loud crash making her flinch. “Hiding won’t save you!” he snarled, his voice shifting from playful to menacing. “You think I don’t know where you are?”

Y/N’s grip on the glass tightened, her palm slick with sweat. The faint shuffle of her movement betrayed her, and David’s head snapped in her direction.

“There you are,” he said, his lips curling into a predatory grin.

Y/N bolted, sprinting out from behind the shelf and darting toward the far end of the room. David gave chase, his longer strides closing the distance quickly. He grabbed her arm, yanking her back with brutal force.

“No!” Y/N screamed, twisting and thrashing with everything she had. She drove her elbow into his stomach, earning a grunt of pain, but his grip didn’t falter.

“Feisty,” he sneered, slamming her into a nearby wall. The impact knocked the wind out of her, and the glass shard slipped from her fingers, clattering to the floor.

David leaned in, his face inches from hers. “It’s over, sweetheart. Just stop fighting—”

Y/N brought her knee up hard, striking him in the groin. David howled, doubling over as he released her. She scrambled away, her hands frantically searching for the shard of glass.

“You little bitch!” David roared, recovering quickly. He lunged at her again, and this time she managed to roll out of the way, grabbing the shard as she did.

“Stay back!” Y/N shouted, her voice trembling but defiant.

David laughed, his eyes gleaming with sadistic glee. “Or what? You’re gonna cut me? Go ahead, try.”

He moved toward her again, and Y/N slashed wildly with the glass, grazing his arm. Blood seeped through the tear in his jacket, but he barely flinched.

“Better than I thought,” he muttered, his tone almost admiring. “But you’re still mine.”

Desperate, Y/N threw a nearby metal pipe in his direction, creating a loud crash that distracted him just long enough for her to dart behind another set of shelves. She crouched low, her body shaking as she tried to calm her breathing.

“You can’t run forever,” David taunted, his voice echoing through the room. “I’ve got all night, sweetheart. And when I find you, I’ll make you pay for that little stunt.”

Y/N’s vision blurred with tears as she tried to steady herself. She didn’t want to die here. She didn’t want to let this monster win.

Suddenly, a voice pierced the tense silence.

“Y/N!”

Ellie.

---

ELLIE'S POV:

Ellie rode hard, her heart a storm of worry and anger. By the time she reached the warehouse, Joel, Jesse, and Dina were not far behind her, but Ellie didn’t wait for backup. She crept through the front doors, her pistol drawn, adrenaline making her senses razor-sharp.

“Y/N!” Ellie called out, her voice echoing through the cavernous space.

The sound of movement caught her attention, and she turned just as David emerged from the shadows. Before she could react, he was on her, a gun pressing into her back as he wrenched her arm behind her.

"Drop it," David hissed in her ear, his breath hot and rancid.

Ellie growled in frustration but complied, her gun clattering to the ground.

"Ellie!" Y/N’s voice rang out, high and panicked. She watched from her hiding spot, horror coursing through her veins.

David smirked, tightening his hold on Ellie. "Looks like she cares about you. Maybe I’ll have some fun with both of you."

David let out a strangled cry, his grip loosening on Ellie as he stumbled forward, blood spurting from the wound. He collapsed to the ground, choking on his last breaths.

Ellie turned, wide-eyed, as she saw Y/N standing there, the bloodied shard still in her hand. Y/N’s chest heaved, her knees buckling as the reality of what she had done crashed over her.

She fell to the floor, gasping for air.

Y/N'S POV:

Hope surged through her, but it was short-lived as David’s predatory grin returned.

“Well, well,” he murmured. “Your girlfriend’s here to join the party.”

David moved toward the sound of Ellie’s voice, leaving Y/N just enough space to collect herself. Her survival instinct kicked in. She gripped the shard tightly and began to creep after him, her steps silent.

When she saw him grab Ellie and hold her at gunpoint, fury overtook her fear.

“Drop it,” David growled at Ellie, shoving the barrel of his gun against her back.

Ellie hesitated, her green eyes locking briefly with Y/N’s over David’s shoulder.

That split second was all Y/N needed. Fueled by adrenaline, she charged forward and drove the shard into David’s neck with all her strength.

His body jerked as the glass sliced through flesh. Blood sprayed out, painting the walls and floor in violent streaks.

David gurgled, his hands flailing as he dropped his gun. He stumbled forward before collapsing, choking on his own blood as life drained from him.

Y/N stared at his body, her chest heaving as the weight of what she’d done settled in. Her hands were covered in blood—his blood—and her vision swam.

“Y/N!” Ellie was at her side in an instant, grabbing her shoulders.

The touch startled Y/N, and she flinched, backing away. Her body shook violently, and her breaths came in

“Hey, hey, you’re okay, babe,” Ellie murmured, pulling Y/N into her arms. “It’s over. I’m here. I’ve got you.”

Tears spilled from Y/N’s eyes as she clung to Ellie, her head buried in her chest.

Ellie stroked her hair gently, whispering soft reassurances. “You’re so brave. It’s over now. I’m never letting anything happen to you again.”

Joel and the others burst through the door moments later, their eyes scanning the scene. Joel’s gaze softened as he took in Ellie holding Y/N, both of them shaken but alive.

“We’ll take it from here,” Joel said quietly, signaling Jesse and Dina to check the area.

Ellie helped Y/N to her feet, her arm wrapped protectively around her waist. Y/N leaned heavily on her, still trembling, but Ellie held her steady.

“We’re going home,” Ellie promised, her voice firm. “And I’m not letting you out of my sight again.”

As they stepped into the cold night air, Y/N clung to Ellie, finding solace in her warmth. The storm had passed, and for the first time in hours, she felt safe.

[pitchprowler27]

Hearts On The Sidelines Part 6

Here is part 6, ideas are welcomed. Enjoy!

The days following their date were a whirlwind of conflicting emotions for Ellie. On the one hand, Leah had been nothing short of perfect—steady, confident, and endlessly patient. On the other, Ellie felt woefully unequipped to meet her halfway. Her mind kept circling back to Leah’s words: I want to take my time with you.

What did that mean? Was she supposed to do something? Was there a timeline she wasn’t aware of?

Ellie groaned, flopping onto Bobby’s couch. He was on his third espresso martini, perched cross-legged in an armchair, watching her with an amused expression.

“Ells, you’ve been sighing like a tragic Victorian heroine for the past hour. What’s going on?”

“It’s Leah,” Ellie mumbled, pulling a pillow over her face.

Bobby let out a dramatic gasp. “The Leah Williamson? Again? Honestly, I’m thrilled, but also mildly annoyed that I’ve become your emotional support gay.”

Ellie peeked out from beneath the pillow. “You love it.”

“Obviously.” He sipped his drink. “Now spill. What did she do? Or, knowing you, what didn’t she do that you’re overthinking?”

Ellie sat up, clutching the pillow to her chest. “She’s just… perfect. And I’m… me.”

Bobby arched an eyebrow. “Care to elaborate?”

“She’s so confident and sure of herself. She knows what she wants, and she’s not afraid to go after it. Meanwhile, I’m over here panicking because I don’t know how to be in a relationship.” Ellie ran a hand through her hair, exasperated. “I don’t want to mess this up.”

Bobby set his glass down and leaned forward. “Ells, let me break this down for you: Leah chose you. She could’ve picked anyone, but she’s sitting there, texting you. That means she sees something in you, even if you don’t see it yourself yet.”

Ellie chewed on her bottom lip, his words sinking in. “What if I’m not enough?”

Bobby rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. If you weren’t enough, she wouldn’t be chasing you like a golden retriever after a tennis ball. Now, stop doubting yourself and focus on what makes you happy.”

Ellie opened her mouth to argue but was cut off by the buzz of her phone. She glanced at the screen, her stomach doing a little flip at the sight of Leah’s name.

Leah: Busy? Come for a walk with me.

Bobby peeked over her shoulder. “See? Golden retriever. Go.”

Ellie hesitated. “What if I screw it up?”

“You won’t,” Bobby said, shooing her off. “But if you do, you know where to find me.”

——————————————————————————————————————

Ellie approached the park bench, her hands buried deep in the pockets of her hoodie to keep herself from fidgeting. She felt her heart pounding in her chest like a war drum as she caught sight of Leah. There she was, leaning back against the wooden slats of the bench, her Arsenal hoodie fitting perfectly and her blue jeans slightly frayed at the knees. Leah's hair was loose, catching the late afternoon sunlight, and she looked so effortlessly put together that it made Ellie want to turn around and pretend she’d forgotten something.

But Leah spotted her, her face lighting up in a way that made Ellie’s stomach flip.

“Hey, pretty girl,” Leah greeted, her voice warm and familiar.

Ellie swallowed hard, her nerves twisting in knots, but she forced herself to smile as she approached. “Hey.”

Leah stood as Ellie reached the bench, her eyes scanning Ellie like she was the only person in the park. “You okay?” she asked, her tone gentle but observant.

“Yeah,” Ellie replied too quickly, her voice a little higher than normal. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I mean, yeah. I’m good.”

Leah smiled knowingly, gesturing for Ellie to sit. “Walk first, or sit and talk?”

Ellie hesitated. She hadn’t really thought that far ahead. “Uh… sit?”

Leah chuckled softly. “Sit it is.”

They settled onto the bench, and Ellie immediately stuffed her hands back into her hoodie pockets. She could feel her fingers trembling and clenched them into fists, willing herself to calm down. But as the silence stretched, her anxiety only grew.

Leah waited, her patience unwavering. She didn’t rush Ellie, didn’t press her to speak. Instead, she leaned back slightly, her body language open and relaxed, a stark contrast to Ellie’s rigid posture.

Ellie took a deep breath, her nerves finally spilling over. “Okay, so, um, I’ve been thinking—no, not thinking—like, obsessing maybe? I don’t know. But it’s about, you know… this.” She gestured vaguely between them, her words tumbling out faster than she could process them. “And it’s not that I don’t like it—I do, I really do—but I also kind of suck at it? Like, I’m not good at feelings or talking or—God, why am I even saying this?”

She stopped, squeezing her eyes shut as her face burned with embarrassment. Leah hadn’t said a word yet, and the silence felt deafening. But when Ellie finally dared to peek at her, Leah was smiling softly, her eyes filled with nothing but warmth.

“Ellie,” Leah said gently, her voice cutting through Ellie’s spiraling thoughts like a lifeline. “Breathe.”

Ellie let out a shaky laugh, her cheeks still red. “Sorry. I’m a mess.”

Leah reached out, her hand covering one of Ellie’s. “You’re not a mess,” she said firmly, her thumb brushing lightly over Ellie’s knuckles. “You’re just being honest. Keep going.”

Ellie stared at their hands, the simple touch grounding her enough to continue. “I just… I don’t know what I’m doing,” she admitted, her voice quieter now. “Like, you’re so good at this—at knowing what to say and how to… be. And I’m just sitting here trying not to screw it up because I don’t have a clue how to handle emotions, let alone someone else’s.”

Leah tilted her head slightly, her expression soft. “Who told you that you had to have it all figured out?”

Ellie blinked, caught off guard. “What?”

“You’re not supposed to have all the answers,” Leah said simply. “No one does. And you don’t have to do this alone. I’m here, remember? I don’t care if you’re not perfect at feelings or relationships or whatever you think you’re supposed to be good at. We’ll figure it out together.”

Ellie’s throat tightened, her hands trembling slightly as Leah’s words sank in. “But what if I’m… too much? Or not enough? What if—”

Leah gently squeezed her hand, cutting her off. “Ellie, stop. You’re not too much, and you’re definitely not ‘not enough.’ You’re you. That’s what I’m here for.”

Ellie bit her lip, her eyes dropping to their hands again. “I just… I don’t want you to get tired of having to guide me through everything. I know I ramble, and I’m awkward, and I overthink everything. And then there’s all the baggage I carry, and—”

Leah leaned closer, her free hand reaching up to tuck a stray strand of Ellie’s hair behind her ear. “Ellie,” she said softly, her voice steady. “I like that you ramble. I like that you overthink, even if it drives you crazy. I like that you’re awkward and bashful and have this ridiculous need to take care of everyone around you, even when you forget to take care of yourself. And your baggage?” Leah paused, her eyes locking onto Ellie’s. “It doesn’t scare me. I want all of it. I want you.”

Ellie’s breath hitched, her heart pounding so hard she thought Leah might hear it. “Why?” she whispered, her voice trembling.

Leah smiled, her thumb brushing over Ellie’s cheek. “Because you’re worth it. You don’t have to be perfect, Ellie. You just have to be honest. With me, and with yourself.”

Ellie swallowed hard, her emotions threatening to overwhelm her. “I don’t know how to… let someone do that. Let someone in.”

“That’s okay,” Leah said, her voice unwavering. “We’ll go at your pace. I’m not going anywhere.”

Ellie blinked rapidly, trying to stave off the tears that were forming. “You make it sound so easy.”

Leah chuckled softly. “It’s not. But it’s worth it. You’re worth it.”

For the first time in what felt like forever, Ellie felt a crack in her armor, a tiny sliver of vulnerability that didn’t feel terrifying. It felt… safe. She nodded slowly, her trembling hand finally steadying in Leah’s.

“Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll try.”

Leah’s smile widened, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “That’s all I need.”

They sat there for a while longer, the park quiet around them, the moment heavy with unspoken promises. And for the first time, Ellie felt like maybe—just maybe—she didn’t have to navigate her feelings alone. The two sat in silence for only a moment but it felt like ages for Ellie. She didn’t do well with sitting still or silence. Ellie jumps up from her seat surprising Leah. She looks a little bashful and the awkwardness is coming off her in waves. “Do you think we could walk now?”

Leah just stands up and holds her hand out for Ellie to take wordlessly. She does take Leah’s hand and starts leading her down the parks winding paths. Before the silence could work its way into Ellie’s nerves she just starts talking. “Did I ever tell you how Bobby and I met?” Leah shakes her head so she takes it as a green light to continue. “We grew up together. We did everything together. He always boisterous and extroverted that played well with me not wanting to talk to anyone. He’s an army brat too so we had a lot in common. We both knew that our fathers wanted us to sign up as soon as possible so we even enlisted together.” 

Ellie let out a small laugh as she finished her story, her hands tucked into her hoodie pockets. “So yeah, Bobby and I, two tours together as army medics. We were like a well-oiled machine. They used to call us Stitch and Patch because he was great at sewing people up, and I was good at, well, patching them together enough to survive.”

Leah raised an eyebrow, smirking. “That’s… actually kind of impressive. Sounds like you two made a hell of a team.”

“We did,” Ellie admitted, her voice quieter now, tinged with nostalgia. “Even now, as paramedics, it’s like we haven’t missed a beat. Same rhythm, same unspoken understanding. Sometimes I think we’re more siblings than friends, you know?”

Leah nodded, sensing the deep bond between Ellie and Bobby. She wanted to ask more, to dive deeper into the complexities of their relationship and their shared history, but before she could, Ellie abruptly stopped walking and turned to her, an awkward grin on her face.

“So anyway…” Ellie blurted out, waving a hand in a casual, almost dismissive gesture. “How’s football?”

Leah blinked at her, taken aback by the sudden shift in conversation. Then, a laugh bubbled up from her chest, breaking through the tension. “Ellie, you just told me a story about war zones, paramedic heroics, and being called Stitch, and now you want to talk about football?”

Ellie shrugged, her grin widening. “What? I figured you’ve had enough of my deep and meaningful for one day. Plus, you know, I hear you’re kind of a big deal in the football world.”

Leah chuckled, shaking her head. “You’re something else, you know that?”

“I try.” Ellie’s tone was light, but there was a flicker of relief in her eyes. She wasn’t great with heavy emotions, and shifting the focus gave her the breathing room she needed.

“Well,” Leah began, humoring her, “football’s going well. Training’s intense, as usual, but the team’s in good form. We’ve got a big match coming up next week. You should come watch.”

Ellie tilted her head, considering it. “Might have to. Do you promise not to embarrass yourself on the field?”

Leah feigned offense, clutching her chest dramatically. “Embarrass myself? Ellie, do you know who you’re talking to?”

Ellie just stares at her and then with a small smirk replies “Of course I know who I’m talking to. You’re the incredibly hot and cocky Leah Williamson.” 

Leah’s grin turned downright wicked, her confidence radiating with an intensity that made Ellie’s knees feel just a little weaker. She closed the gap between them with a casual stride, her blue eyes locked on Ellie’s like a predator honing in on its prey. “Hot and cocky, huh?” Leah’s voice dipped lower, smooth and deliberate. “Is that really all you’ve got to say about me?”

Ellie blinked, suddenly hyperaware of just how close Leah was standing. Her heartbeat ratcheted up to a sprint, but she refused to back down, crossing her arms as a weak shield. “I mean, what else is there to say? I thought I was being generous.”

Leah cocked an eyebrow, tilting her head as her lips curved into a smirk that practically screamed trouble. “Generous? Oh, Ellie, I think you’re holding back.”

Ellie scoffed, her attempt at defiance undermined by the heat rising to her cheeks. “Maybe you’re just reading into things.”

“Maybe.” Leah’s voice was a soft hum, playful but dripping with dominance. She reached out, her fingers brushing the hem of Ellie’s hoodie before tugging it lightly, forcing Ellie to take an involuntary step closer. “But you seem a little flustered. Care to explain that?”

Ellie’s mouth opened to respond, but the words caught in her throat. Her confidence cracked under Leah’s intense gaze, and she could feel her pulse thrumming wildly in her ears. “I’m not flustered,” she managed, her voice weaker than she’d like.

Leah leaned in, her face mere inches from Ellie’s, her tone dropping into something commanding yet soft. “Liar.”

The word sent a shiver down Ellie’s spine, and her breath hitched. Leah wasn’t even touching her beyond the casual hold on her hoodie, but she felt like she was completely pinned in place. “I… you’re impossible,” Ellie stammered, trying desperately to regain control of the situation.

Leah chuckled, a low, rich sound that made Ellie’s stomach flip. “And you love it,” she teased, her voice filled with maddening certainty.

Ellie glared at her, half-hearted at best. “You’re insufferable.”

Leah smirked wider, leaning back slightly as if giving Ellie a reprieve—but not much of one. “You keep saying that, but here you are. Still standing in front of me, still rambling, still blushing.”

“I am not blushing,” Ellie countered, her voice sharp but faltering.

Leah raised a brow, clearly unconvinced. “You’re adorable when you lie, Ellie.”

Ellie threw her hands in the air, turning half away in frustration, though the movement did little to shake the magnetic pull of Leah’s presence. “I don’t even know why I agreed to this walk.”

Leah didn’t let her escape. Instead, she reached out, her hand circling Ellie’s wrist and tugging her gently but firmly back to face her. “You agreed because you like me. And I like you.” Her voice softened but lost none of its command as she stepped closer again, her presence all-consuming. “So stop pretending this isn’t exactly where you want to be.”

Ellie’s breath caught, her defenses crumbling under Leah’s intensity. Her eyes flicked to where Leah’s hand held her wrist, warm and steady, then back to Leah’s face. “You’re… really sure of yourself, huh?”

Leah tilted her head, a small, confident smile tugging at her lips. “When it comes to you? Always.”

Ellie’s heart was doing somersaults now, and for once, she didn’t try to fight it. She let out a shaky breath, her voice barely above a whisper. “You’re exhausting.”

Leah’s smirk softened into something warmer, though her dominance still lingered in the way she stood so solidly, so unwaveringly close. “And yet, you keep coming back.”

Ellie couldn’t argue with that. She huffed out a reluctant laugh, shaking her head. “You’re really something, you know that?”

Leah released her wrist but didn’t step away, her gaze locking Ellie in place. “I know. But if it’s any consolation, you’re something too, pretty girl.”

Ellie groaned, covering her face with her hands, half to hide her growing smile and half to regain some semblance of composure. “You’re going to be the death of me.”

Leah chuckled, her confidence never wavering as she took Ellie’s hand again, her grip firm but comforting. “Good. That means I’m doing something right.”

Without giving Ellie a chance to argue further, Leah started leading her down the path, her hand fitting perfectly around Ellie’s. The air between them was thick with tension, but for once

, Ellie wasn’t overwhelmed by it. She was drawn into it, captivated by Leah’s unshakable confidence and the way it seemed to wrap around her like a shield. As they walked, Ellie felt her nerves begin to steady, her steps falling in sync with Leah’s.

Leah glanced sideways at her, her smirk returning. “So, Stitch, you gonna tell me more about this nickname of yours? Or should I just start calling you Doctor Ellie?”

Ellie groaned, her free hand coming up to rub at her forehead. “Please don’t. Bobby already milks it for all it’s worth.”

Leah grinned, clearly enjoying Ellie’s discomfort. “Oh, I can imagine. But come on, it’s impressive. Two tours as an army medic? That’s no small thing.”

Ellie shrugged, trying to downplay it. “It’s just what we had to do. You get used to it.”

“Do you, though?” Leah’s voice softened, and when Ellie glanced at her, she saw something deeper behind Leah’s teasing exterior. “Because it sounds like you’ve been through a hell of a lot, Ellie. More than most people could handle.”

Ellie hesitated, her usual instinct to deflect kicking in. “I guess. But it’s not like I’m the only one.”

Leah stopped walking, tugging Ellie gently to a halt as well. She turned to face her, their hands still linked. “Maybe not. But it’s still worth recognizing. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

Ellie felt her throat tighten, her usual walls threatening to go up again. But Leah’s steady gaze and the warm, firm grip of her hand made it impossible to retreat entirely. “You make it sound like I’m some kind of hero.”

Leah tilted her head, her expression unreadable for a moment before she smiled, this time softer but no less confident. “You don’t have to be a hero, Ellie. You just have to be you. And for the record, I think that’s more than enough.”

Ellie opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Instead, she just stared at Leah, her heart pounding in her chest. It wasn’t just the words—it was the way Leah said them, like she believed them with every fiber of her being.

Leah’s smirk returned, the warmth in her eyes mingling with a flicker of mischief. “What? Speechless? That’s a first.”

Ellie rolled her eyes, though her lips twitched into a reluctant smile. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet,” Leah said, stepping closer, her voice dropping to that teasing, confident murmur again, “you keep showing up. Almost like you can’t resist me.”

Ellie’s cheeks flushed, but this time, she didn’t bother denying it. Instead, she raised an eyebrow, her voice tinged with mock defiance. “Maybe I just like a challenge.”

Leah chuckled, leaning in just enough to make Ellie’s breath hitch. “Careful, pretty girl. I don’t back down from challenges.”

Ellie swallowed hard, her heart pounding as Leah’s smirk grew wider. She was in way over her head, but for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t sure she minded. “Neither do I.”

Leah’s laugh was low and rich, filled with delight at Ellie’s rare spark of defiance. “Good. I like that about you.” She straightened, giving Ellie’s hand a squeeze. “Now, let’s keep walking before I give you too much of an ego boost.”

Ellie let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, her nerves settling into something warmer, steadier. As Leah led her further down the path, her presence solid and unwavering, Ellie found herself thinking that maybe, just maybe, she didn’t mind letting someone else take the lead for once.

[cookie-nom-nom]

I think it would be really great if the first to realize they’re a mind reader on Athos also realized she was trans after accidentally reading Ethan’s mind and going. Wh. That’s a woman?? And then when Terrence tried to do a little chill mentoring and be like hey :) I know your secret :)) she absolutely PANICKED that she’d get revealed as a secret she devil trying to corrupt the lives of innocent brothers or whatever Athos propaganda was like on that front. And obviously bolted.

It’s part way Terrence and Ethan sighing and realizing Adventure tm found them anyway. Like I figure they intended to be very hands off on the grand experiment, a little nudging at most, but also the kid was obviously FREAKED out and having things go very badly very publicly for the first new mind reader could be a bad misstep for the whole project. So they rangled up their gaggle of sons (who were taking an awful lot after Elli for maximum chaos) and declared a manhunt family vacation. It’s a cute look into their domestic life, but also Terrence was obviously feeling really bad about spooking her bc it felt like a ghost of some of his own trauma what with the being hunted down bit.

Meanwhile mind reader was desperately trying to figure out what triggered the sudden ability and how to replicate, if all women were telepaths, and if maybe she could be exorcised??? Could a priest help???? Dealing with a metric ton of internalized transmisogyny and the terrifying idea that maybe people can sense it?? Since that Terrence fellow knew before she did???? And is now hunting her down?!??!????

In proper Bujold fashion she’d probably fall in love with one of their sons, who in his rebellion and desperation to be seen as an adult decided to take the initiative and find what his dads were looking for before they could. He makes her feel like maybe it’s okay to break the mold, she makes him feel seen (and do some introspection on why he’s really acting out). Plus being heterosexual is basically peak rebellion on Athos, though that’s more of a lucky side effect.

It culminated in Terrence and Ethan finally cornering the pair, who are luckily more on the ‘nana can’t catch me’ and ‘oh crap im grounded’ side of things than the previous ‘I’m going to be burned at the stake’ level of catastrophizing. At which point Terrence delivered a long and ambiguous speech of solidarity, lots of ‘I know what it’s like because im the same’ and ‘you’re not a monster or scourge of society’ and enough confusing references to biology and genetics that she cried “thank god the father there’s another woman on this planet!” and started asking a million questions in the trans direction.

only for a very confused Terrence to go “what? No. I’m a telepath like you.”

“oh that….I kinda forgot about that part.”

[arsoooooonmun]

Sick Hearts, One Thump. — Chapter 1

— an Abby Anderson x Reader fanfic

Working with Abby Anderson, aka your ex-girlfriend, was harder than you thought. Who knew she'll drunk text you repeatedly in the middle of the night?

[files attached are 2 pictures and 296 words for narration.]

While you were tending Abby — whose eyes were completely shut and sleeping soundly, your thoughts waved to the question Ellie left off.

"Why did y'all even break up?"

You and Abby became friends in the summer heat. Meeting in the neighbourhood, you just moved in.

She greeted you with a whole smile on her face, that is because she "saw a new best friend" , the little Abby would say.

Despite your very introverted little self, you openly welcomed Abby in your life. Without you realising time has passed.

Shockingly, that's how your friends told you, Abby confessed first. It was at the favourite place you both loved to stay at. Watching the sunrise or sunset while eating ice cream.

It was… romantic.

You never thought Abby had it in her, that's why tears started swelling in your face. Of course she started panicking and rambling stuff that you didn't understand because you kissed her in the middle of it.

You were such a romantic too.

Five years after being officially together with Abby, you finally graduated college. Meanwhile, Abby was still stuck in the hell of the medical field. Yes, you took a different path than Abby, focusing more on business.

And that's where things started to be a blur.

You and Abby fought.

No one knew what it was about, and you were starting to forget it too.

"I told you. I never saw her that way."

"Then why did I see you kissing her!"

Months after that, you saw Abby enter Joel's building — the building you are working at, holding files, and it looks like she just got accepted.

All hell breaks loose.

[ghostingtheconflict]

PROLOGUE:

B̶̧̡̧̡̠͕̣͇̫̰̠̙̯͎̪̫͇͍̟̄̅̔͜ͅͅr̶̨̧̢̨̡̧͚͖̥̞̻͍̪̟͈̰͎͔̯̺̃͐̂ͅë̷͕̠̜͉̰̫͖̱̻̬̹̥̖́͐̎͗̓̉̑͐̕͘̚͘ă̴̲ḵ̷̘̱͎̀̄̾̉̏̅̕͜i̸̢̬̱̲͍̱̭̪͇̜̟͌̀̓͂̍̐͜n̸͈͌̓̾̓́̉̈̇̓͆̀̆̅͛g̸̡̡̢͔͖̺̫̰̘̲͛͂͑̂͐̽̽̎̽̓͌͑̑͒͜͜͜ ̸̧̛̛͓̭̱̞͈͚̠̟̜̳̻̣̪͈̫̓͌̌̿̈́̎͊̇́̕ͅT̶͓̻̬̼̺͔̯̘͎̠͈̘̘͇̣̖̘̱͖̫̞̭̰͊̃̉̐͆̈́̈́̉̋̔̐͐͌͐̉̇̚͘͠h̷̳̜͖̱̹͆̊͌̾̿̌̃̀͋̈́̋̿̋̊̆́̃̚͠ͅë̴͖̹̬̯̳̫̤̖̘͖̱̠̝̣̩͎͇́̾̆̅͆̓̀̔͒̈́͋͗̿̍̕̕̚͜͜͝ ̵̢͚͇̜̦͕̈̎̌͒͒̈́̒͌̑̍̓̋̈́͒̎̾̒̏͝ͅB̸̢̧̨̖̩̖̫̹̹͖͋̋̊͒̆̋͆͛̓̓͂̃̑̿͊̀̓͘̕̚̕͠a̷̢̮̥͙̩̖̟̣͔̼̻̠͖͉̱͇͋́ͅͅn̷̡̢̤̖̗̬͈̈́̆̃͑̀̍̍̓̓̌̃͆̓̈́̓̀͘͠ͅk̵̡̻̱̟͈̋͐͒̃͗̚. Part 1

Henry stood at the front of the building. It was a familiar one, for he had seen it more times than he could remember it. New timeline, same old heist that goes wrong.

He couldn't even reset earlier than the bank anymore thanks to those assholes at the C.C.C. Which was a little annoying but whatever, they couldn't stop him anyway.

The middle of the desert was always a wonder for him, hot and scalding the way it is. And yet, there it was, proudly standing, the 'bank’ in question, it was more of a vault if he was being honest to himself, after all there were very few people here.

There wasn't much to do at the moment other than go ahead and start. But this loop felt. Different. He could feel it somehow. 

So, he did the one thing that he could to test it, and approached the side of the building. Waiting to see the 'options’ he had to go with.

And that was when it happened. When he expected to see the disguise or the bombs. There was nothing but completely new things to go on about. No teleporter, no shovel, just new stuff like an option to threaten security.

To say he was shocked was an understatement. This never happened. No matter how many times he traveled all the way back just for the heck of it.

He kinda feels curious on where this will lead him, and so he chooses the first option that feels like it would get him a fail.

> Smash Ball 

The moment he spawns this in, a very familiar hedgehog spins in and knocks him out of the picture to try to get the ball, with a narrator loudly announcing GAME as he does so. 

Reference, his stand and voice of failure simply tells him “And the winner is ! Blue blur !” before he goes back to the options. 

Oh yeah. This is gonna be a fun one. Let's see how much chaos he can cause since the timeline is fucked like this.

A couple of trial and errors in new possibilities are nice. He was starting to get bored of overthrowing Reginald, killing the Right Hand Man, betraying Ellie or Charles, or even working for the government after all.

This. All of this was shaping up to be a new fun playtime to him. So off to the next fail !

> Threaten

Henry jumps in and tries to hold one of the guards hostage to threaten the other by opening the doors for him to steal the cash. But the guard is able to throw him to the ground and aim his gun to Henry's face. 'Should have taken some fighting lessons.’ Reference says mockingly.

> Puffle

He summons a black grumpy furball that seems uninterested in helping in his shenanigans. That is until Henry reaches in his pocket to see what he could use and sees a ring-like treat which seems to make the little guy more excited. He feeds it to the puffball and it explodes into flames, flying around in the air burning whatever it was on its path until it landed in one of the cars. The guards, scrambling around uselessly, try to put out the fire and catch the creature, which gives the opportunity for Henry to sneak by, pickpocket their keys and enter the building while they are distracted.

He didn't see all the fails as of now. But he can always go back for them later.

—---------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile elsewhere in the desert:

The Chaos Containment Center, or C.C.C as most who knew of them called it, was not in fact containing chaos at the moment. If anything they were panicking over the new incredibly high amount of chaos that was currently concentrating within an area of the desert. And if the screens were right about this. Henry Stickmin was the source.

Henry Stickmin is not really news in the C.C.C due to the amount of incidents they can trace back to him. A category 9 to 10 tends to do that.

This. However. Was far too different from the expectations of the guy.

Something broke. Horrifically at that. And if they don't fix it, everything that this world knows and understands will break too.

If the source was something like a misplacement or alteration of events as we know it, the multiversal fix-it button would be able to weed out and destroy the anomaly. This never worked in trying to destroy Henry however, to the disappointment of many of the people there.

Not this time tho. Something else is happening and no one has the answers any of the employees working can give. 

The directors in every branch are trying to keep the peace and search for what the hell went wrong. Others have currently barricaded themselves in a panic, some were trying to see if this was the first few stages of a possible apocalypse and so on and so forth.

They knew that their biggest concern and life long enemy was at the center of it. The issue is that through some camera feed they have, they were able to conclude Stickmin had no idea why this was happening either. And that was bad.

If it was a deliberate attempt to cause the increase of Entropy again they would be able to make Henry stop by hijacking some of his powers for an endless loop of fails until he stopped it and let the world progress again without incident. Some of the higher members in the facilities shudder at the thought of one of those happening again.

Seriously, how the hell can someone 'accidentally’ split a continent in half ???

But if Henry didn't know why the timeline broke either. Then something or someone else is in play here. This not only means that there could be someone more dangerous than the kleptomaniac messing with everything, and worse, going undetected, but this could also mean some higher being is interfering or Henry's powers might be developing a little Too Much sentience for anyone's liking.

The thought alone puts fear in all of them. 

Best case scenario ? They put things the way they were before without too many hiccups.

The Better case scenario ? Henry is gone and the chaos levels of the world decrease exponentially. Killing whatever it is that's currently causing this.

The worst case scenario ? Pray to god that their reality itself ends quickly and not with the borders of their world being slowly consumed by whatever all powerful hungry void might come for them.

Hope is thin, and all they can do is search for a way out of the mess that has been created.

—---------------------------------------------------------

Elsewhere in the skies:

Something happened. They don't know what. But something definitely did.

“So are we just gonna stand in here oooor ?” says Randy Radman.

They all knew instinctively that they somehow could get out of the portraits their souls were trapped in after their deaths today. 

That never happened before, not even when Terrence was the leader, which was one of the most chaotic and fearful years to live as a toppat due to how close the clan was to falling had Reginald not overthrown the man.

None of the alive toppats that passed through seemed to be able to see them either. They didn't have enough chaos energy to be able to.

This however wasn't going to stop most of them from helping their clan anyway. They may no longer be the leaders but they still had loyalty to them.

The issue is that Terrence seems terrified to leave his own portrait. His chaos level was always higher than most leaders. Which was both a blessing thanks to the setting of powers he had which had helped in some situations while he was alive, and a curse due to his reckless attitude.

So the fact the man was quiet and afraid of what could be out there that freed them was something to worry.

“We still don't know how it's possible that we can leave now. And with the idiot over there refusing to talk we have no idea what could happen. Hell for all we know, our souls might get sucked out of existence if we get out of the airship !” Jacques had inquired.

Most of them were pondering on what to do. Sir Wilford IV had other plans however.

“Alright. How about we compromise here, fellas ? Some of us can rotate between the divisions to keep an eye out for anything that could be malicious, anything that might give ya some sort of 'this shouldn't be here’ feeling. And on the other hand, I know for a damn fact that some of y'all are curious on what outside looks like nowadays.” He looks at Randy, who has moved closer to the exit now but stops acting like he was just caught in the act. 

“So if we can spread out and cover more ground while relaying important information to each other we might be able to find this 'issue’ and either deal with it so it doesn't try anything funny with the clan, or try to make it side with us so the government can't do anything too drastic.” Several nods and murmurs of agreement happen. Right now they know next to nothing on how and why this happens. But they sure as hell are not going to let this opportunity slip away.

As they all leave to experience the wonders of the living world once more. Terrence still remains behind. 

The thing is, he was afraid, but not enough to let it stop him from doing whatever he wanted. However, something deep inside him just kept telling him to not say anything, to bide his time with this. Let them think fear is driving him to silence and watch as whatever happens unfold. 

With a grin on his face, as no one else was in their personal hell besides him now, he knew that the promises of nothing but destruction would come soon. To simply wait for it.

He wasn't sure what the 'it’ would be, but he had a feeling he would know it when he saw it.

And he was nothing if curious enough to wait.

End of part 1

Hope you guys enjoy this one for now.

We still have some other PoVs to go through in part 2 so be excited teehee.

[bluerosefox]

Stellar Dynamics

You know what.

ANOTHER DPxDC idea (as if I write prompts for anything else lol ✍(◔◡◔)

And once again, I think I might have a hyperfixation rn, another deaged Dani (Ellie) and Dan (Dante)! and Dad!Danny.

And you know what, lets make it another DannyxConner idea.

Danny is on a field trip with his class (NOT in Gotham though, LOVE Gotham but lets go with a different city) in like Central City or Metropolis (If Metropolis, Danny is SUPER excited to see the space sections they have at the museum they no doubt have, because well SUPERMAN is an alien and based in their city. If in Central City Conner is visiting Bart.)

During the trip he bumps into Conner and the two just hit it off. Conner enjoys listening to Danny rant about space and the stars and finds watching Danny's eyes light up in joy kinda cute. And if he got his new hero name Supernova from listening to Danny's rants about the stars well... no one needs to know how he got it.

Danny likes how chill Conner is and how the guy stood against Dash and the other jocks when Dash decided he wanted to mess with Danny during the trip, a rare thing nowadays but sometimes Dash does try, and how he respects/likes Danny's friends.

He didn't even say anything negative or hurtful when he found out Danny has two kids back home.

In the end the two exchange numbers, flirt hard, and maybe set up a date in the future. And then more dates. Becoming boyfriends. AND meeting the family. Conner is smitten with just out of toddlerhood Ellie and toddler Dante and adores them. And he loves how the Fentons just love him the moment he stepped into their house and was introduced as Danny's boyfriend, he made sure to bring over a pie Ma should him how to make.

Things get a bit complicated when Conner, Supernova, is at a reunion of YJ members and his phone lights up with a text message from Danny.

He's smiling with a goofy/soft look when he opens the text and see's its a picture of Danny holding a pouting toddler Dante and Ellie on his lap smiling with a notable gap in her teeth at the camera. The message he got was 'Ellie wanted you to know she finally lost her first baby tooth. Dan's been grumpier, I think he misses you.'

He is pulled out of his happy thoughts and musings when he hears Bart gasp hard and drop a bowl of snacks onto the floor. Conner turns to from the future Speedster and see's him about to have a panic attack.

Bart, Impulse, is having a freak out after catching a glimpse of the text picture Conner had gotten and being nosy wanted to know what got his friend to smile so smitten. He knew of Conner's current boyfriend and the kids Conner adores but haven't had time to be introduced to them or even see a pic.

He wasn't expecting to see the very MONSTER of his NIGHTMARES that basically destroyed the world in the FUTURE as a toddler pouting at a camera and surrounded by two smiling identical looking people either. People he never saw in the future or with HIM AND-

Oh.... OH!

Was that why he turned evil? Did something happen to his family?

[androidcharles]

Adjusting to Circumstances

NO BETA WE DIE LIKE CHARLES ANYWAY IT'S TIME TO SET UP THE NEXT ARC, SO HERE'S THAT FIC!

Rupert is having a bit of trouble adjusting to the Toppat Clan. He feels out of place as he tries to go through the motions. Meanwhile, something else is brewing.

No major TWs as far as things are concerned, there might be some swearing. Other then that, enjoy!

Rupert opened his eyes, feeling a bit disoriented as he rose up, almost a little panicked as he suddenly remembered where he was. The dream he had was a little too real. He was back in the government forces, but the details seemed to escape him as he woke up a bit more. He sighed as he threw his legs over the bed, stretching as he started to get dressed.

He should be lucky that he had a room to himself for the time being, but he figured it would be like that for long. The Toppats didn’t seem to be interested in anymore new recruits. Aside from him, of course. He sighed as he opened the door, looking to see a few Toppats grouped up, talking amongst themselves about their days, about the government agents they’ve taken down and what they’ve stolen.

Rupert gently caressed the ring on his finger, one of his steals that he managed to get as he headed out the door, walking down the hall to get some breakfast.

He tried to pretend he didn’t notice the stares as he walked by, heading to the cafeteria upstairs as he spotted his cousin, Carol talking to some of the girl Toppats. She seemed to be in a good mood as Rupert ordered his food and took a seat at a random table.

It didn’t seem all that bad all things considered. It wasn’t any different from being a government agent, to be honest. He would go to training for a few hours and then he usually killed time either by doing something like helping fix up the house or he would be called to take care of a heist. Unfortunately, one of the heists he was called on involved the Triple Threat team and he almost felt guilty fighting Henry and Ellie as he protected some precious uncut emeralds he managed to snag.

He managed to get away with injuring them just enough that they wouldn’t chase, but he still felt bad. He slapped his face a few times as he winced, trying to keep himself from being to cut up about it. Again. It wasn’t the first time he had felt hesitant about hurting someone to get what he wanted.

He figured it would be easy. He would adjust to this just fine without much trouble, but so far he was having a hard time. He heard his name called as he picked up his food and headed back towards his table, getting ready to eat when he saw his mentor slide next to him, his own food on his tray.

“Uh… hello Five Eyes,” Rupert said. Five Eyes smiled at him as he patted his hand.

“You feeling alright, Rupert?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine, I’m just… I guess I thought I’d be used to the whole fighting police officers and government agents thing, but I guess I was wrong,” Rupert said.

“Something else is bothering you, though. I can tell…” Five Eyes said. Rupert remembered that Five Eyes was magic just like him and one of his talents was reading minds.

“Well, I guess one other thing that’s bothering me is that… a lot people keep comparing me to my uncle and… well it’s kinda starting to get to me. I guess they expected more of me when I joined and I don’t know what to do,” Rupert said, “It’s like I’m trying to live up to an imaginary expectation and it just… it just sucks.”

“Well, I mean, it’s not uncommon for people to make those comparisons. You are his nephew after all,” Five Eyes said, “But I wouldn’t worry too much about what they’re saying. You’re your own person you know. You’re not Jaques or Carol or even The Witch. You’re just Rupert. And you fight the bad guys and do things your own way.”

“I know, I know, but it feels like I have to work fifteen times as hard to prove that!” Rupert said, “I don’t want to constantly be compared to my uncle forever and ever…”

“Like I said, you don’t need to worry about that,” Five Eyes said, “How about we focus on combat these next few weeks. I know that you’re already used to it, but something tells me that’s something you need to work on. Let’s meet up in about an hour after breakfast in the training area, OK?” Five Eyes said. Rupert nodded as he stood up to go meet with some other higher ups as Rupert glanced back at Carol’s table.

Maybe I should go sit with them… Rupert thought before pushing that thought away, eating the rest of his breakfast as quickly as possible before heading out of the cafeteria. The least he could do is talk to Amelia. She was the only other person besides his cousins that he felt comfortable talking to as he headed down the elevator to one of the lounges for all the rookies and new recruits. The grunts as they’re called as he opened the double doors to find that Amelia wasn’t there.

That’s strange, he thought, Shouldn’t she be here by now? He headed to her room to see if she was maybe sick or something (it was very often that she overworked herself to the point of giving herself viruses) only to see the Right Hand Man helping carry a cardboard box out of her room.

“Sir?” Rupert asked.

“Oh, hey Rupert. Maybe you can give me a hand with this. Amelia’s moving out of here after all. Gotta make sure it’s clean for the next person,” the Right Hand Man said.

“Moving out?” Rupert asked.

“Yeah, I’m no longer being punished! As much…” Amelia said.

“Reg, around the beginning of summer, punished this little brat along with some other higher up Toppats and I guess he figured they must have learned their lesson. So she, along with those Toppats are going to be moving up a rank,” the Right Hand Man explained.

“I’m gonna finally get my own room! I mean, I already had my own room to begin with, but now I’m not expected to share it with anyone!” Amelia said.

“Oh… so I guess you won’t be hanging out down here anymore, huh?” Rupert said, trying to hide how disappointed he was.

“No, we can still hang out! I just… won’t be down here as much anymore,” Amelia said, “But in all honesty, you should really get to know your fellow Toppats a little better! It might do you some good!”

“I agree,” the Right Hand Man said, “I know it’s tough, but from what I’ve heard, you barely talked to anyone these past few weeks you’ve been here.” Rupert sighed as he nodded his head. That’s why Carol was so hyped up earlier. She had endured the same punishment as she had told him and was now finally moving up in the ranks.

“Rupert, don’t just stand there, get that box upstairs! I’ll show you my new room!” Amelia said as she beckoned for Rupert to follow her. Rupert let out a small sigh as he followed her, hoping he would be done in time for training.

- - - - -

While he did get scolded a bit for being a few minutes late, Five Eyes didn’t seem to mind too much once he found out he was helping Amelia out.

His training went by as quickly as it could, with him learning a few moves that even he didn’t know and some magic tricks that would come in handy. He had a bit of trouble with one, though, so Five Eyes suggested that he borrow a book from the Witch so he could hone his abilities a bit more.

After he was dismissed, he went to get something to eat before stopping by the Witch’s room, which was as messy as it usually was.

“Hey, Rup,” the Witch said as she looked up from her desk, “Whatcha up too?”

“Um… Five Eyes asked me to borrow a book from you. Something about… magic focus?” Rupert said.

“Hmm… yeah I might have a copy of a book or two lying around somewhere. Lemme take a look and see…” the Witch said as she headed towards her messy bookshelf, “So, how are you adjusting?”

“To magic? Not well. Some spells come easily to me while others are a bit more… well… complicated,” Rupert said.

“Not magic you dumb dumb. I’m talking about being a Toppat,” the Witch said, “I imagine it must be pretty fun, right?” Rupert glanced down as the Witch tipped her head to the side, a book in her hand.

“That doesn’t look like the look of someone who’s having fun…” the Witch said, “Are you sure you wanted to join?”

“I am!” Rupert said, “I did want to join, but, I guess… everyone keeps comparing me to my uncle and… well, it’s kind of discouraging, you know.”

“Yeah, I guess I don’t blame them. But you’re not him at the very least. You’re your own person.”

“I know I’m my own person, but it feels like I have to try harder to impress you guys! Especially considering that I was a government agent,” Rupert said, “I’m not sure what to do…”

“Well, working yourself to death won’t help anything. Just keep trying and prove yourself in little ways. The clan will warm up to you eventually. Once you’ve gotten used to things, they’ll see value in you,” the Witch said, patting his head, “I promise.” Rupert rushed over to hug her as she smiled.

“Now, let’s see about finding that book for you,” the Witch said.

After he got the book from the Witch with the promise to return it, he wandered over to the elevator, before he suddenly realized that he was about one floor from the top floor…

He didn’t really have any reason to go, but it wasn’t like he was forbidden from going up there. In fact, some Toppats often went up there to look at the pictures or patrol the halls to protect the leaders. He pushed the button for the top floor and waited for the elevator to stop, walking out into the hall, noticing how quiet it was. He stepped through the hallway, gazing at all the leaders before he saw the portrait he was looking for.

He gazed at Jaques Kensington, getting a funny feeling from it as he walked towards the picture, letting out a small sigh.

“It’s so ridiculous…” Rupert said, “I bet when you were in the clan, you didn’t have to deal with all this. I bet you were a great Toppat. I mean you became the leader for crying out loud! So… what would I have to do to become a great Toppat like you?”

Rupert sighed as he leaned his head against the frame, feeling like bursting into tears as he glanced down the hall and saw a young kid. He regained his composure as he glanced at the kid, sneaking over to see what picture he was looking at, the portrait of Terrence Suave. He was grinning really wide, his hazel eyes almost golden with dusty brown hair that had a bit of gold flecks to it as well. He was holding up what looked to be a golden gun, something he had seen Reginald carry from time to time.

Rupert glanced at the kid, who was staring with this sort of fear in his eyes.

“Hey… you OK?” Rupert asked.

“Huh? Oh, hello,” he said. He actually looked like a spitting image of a younger version of Terrence, almost too much, right down to the gold flecks in his hazel eyes. He glanced at Rupert before he shrugged.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just uh… looking at this picture of my dad,” he said, “Sometimes I come up here whenever I’m feeling down. But… in the end it just makes me angrier looking at this PICTURE!” The kid punched the wall, causing the picture to shake slightly as Rupert jumped.

“Do you hate your dad?” Rupert asked, kind of understanding how he felt for a brief second.

“No, not really. My dad was a really great person… up until he became the leader. I don’t know what happened to him, how he changed or why he changed. It just makes me so angry though. Before he became leader, he was the kindest most amazing person in the world. Then we just started growing apart…” he said, “I remember when Uncle Reg told me that he killed himself.”

He let out a small sigh as he leaned his hand against the wall, staring down at the floor as if remembering that awful day.

“What are you doing up here?” he asked.

“I guess I was doing the same thing as you,” Rupert said, “Looking at my uncle's portrait. Although, it’s because I’m being constantly compared to him in regards to my… training.”

“Oh, yeah, you’re the new Toppat everyone’s been talking about. Rupert right?” the kid smiled at him, though it looked pretty forced.

“I’m Ace. Ace Williams,” he said.

“Yeah, Rupert Price,” Rupert said, “So, I guess we’re both in the same boat huh?”

“For different reasons. Jaques was a great leader from what I heard. A bit eccentric, but he was an amazing leader before he disappeared. My dad though, he was an awful leader. Apparently he pulled bunches of money from the budget on heists that didn’t make sense, he tried to hurt countless people in his raids when we don’t usually do that kind of stuff and worst of all, he was responsible for a lot of injuries. And when he was being overthrown, he hurt and killed a lot of people. Including someone that my Uncle Danny was close to…

“And it’s awful because when you think about all the people who had to live under his rule, they oftentimes would look at me and think that I’m the same. Like I’m gonna turn into an evil twisted version of my dad for some reason and… I don’t know what to do…” Ace muttered.

“That… that sounds awful,” Rupert muttered, being lucky that most of his comparisons had to do with his shortcomings. Having to be constantly compared to a relative that was completely awful must be much worse.

“Yeah, but I can’t exactly blame them,” Ace muttered, “I’m just scared that I might become like him. Sometimes I get this awful feeling in the back of my mind…”

“I can’t imagine someone as nice as you becoming like that,” Rupert said, “You seem way too nice to be like what you just described…” Ace’s eyes twinkled as he looked at Rupert.

“Thanks. That actually means a lot to me…” Ace said.

“You’re welcome. You know, if you’re ever feeling down, I wouldn’t mind hanging out with you,” Rupert said, “Unless that makes you uncomfortable!”

“No, no, I’m glad. I’m just glad that someone understands me, you know,” Ace said, “And don’t worry about the thing with your uncle. I’m pretty sure you’ll be just as great as him one day! You may even be the leader too!”

“Nah…” Rupert chuckled as he glanced down the hall and saw Amelia, Dave, and Charles walking down the hall, talking amongst themselves.

“Amelia, what are you doing up here?” Ace asked.

“Picking up Charles and Dave so we can start practicing,” Amelia said, “Charles wants to write another original song before the end of this month, so we’re meeting three times a week this time.”

“Don’t worry, I think we can manage!” Charles said, “I just wanna write something really good!” He glanced up, jumping for joy as he hugged Rupert tightly.

“And how are you adjusting, RooRoo?” Charles said, “Feeling alright?”

“I’m fine,” Rupert lied, but it was convincing enough to make Charles smiled.

“That’s good to hear! Henry thinks you’re doing just fine. Especially after that injury you gave him. He said he’d hasn’t seen you that serious since your time in the government forces!” Rupert’s eyes twinkled at this as Dave waved at Rupert.

“Say, Rupert, you wanna join us for practice? I know we’re gonna be in the room most of the time, but maybe you can listen in on us while we practice,” Dave asked.

“Can I come too? I’m so bored and I had a fight with Nicole earlier…” Ace said, “I’m kind of scared to go back to the teen’s lounge now because of it.”

“Yeah, totally! Maybe after we practice a bit we can put on an impromptu concert!” Charles said. Amelia giggled.

“Alright, follow me! We can’t keep Accordion and Violin waiting forever,” Amelia said. Rupert felt a bit less confident when he heard those names as he headed to the elevator, following the three to the music room.

- - - - -

Ace and Rupert sat in the chairs around the small stage in front of the music room as they listened to the faint sounds of rock and roll from the practice room. Rupert had to admit, they sounded pretty good, but on occasion Accordion or Violin would interrupt whenever possible to help lead them in the right direction.

“Geez, I knew they were tough, but they seem like a sports coach. Glad I’m not into music,” Ace muttered, absentmindedly playing with a guitar he decided to pull out of storage (with permission of course).

“I can already imagine that they’re used to this kind of thing,” Rupert muttered as he heard Charles talking loudly to Amelia and Dave.

He had taken the time to read the book he had borrowed while he was waiting for Charles and the others to go on break. He had to at least brush up on his magic studies while he waited.

Finally, after some time, the three of them walked out of the room, clearly exhausted as Charles lightly jogged towards Rupert, throwing himself over a the chairs as he sat next to him, hugging him.

“This is the best kind of break time because I get to spend it with you!” Charles said as Amelia and Dave sat next to each other, talking quietly, “Uh, dude, you’re holding that wrong.”

“You’re holding that wrong,” Ace said in a mocking tone as he held the guitar in an even more incorrect position.

“Ace, be nice. Charles knows a lot about music,” Amelia scolded as Dave giggled.

“So, I guess you guys aren’t doing the impromptu concert then?” Rupert asked, a little disappointed.

“Oh no, we still are! We’re just taking a small break before we set up. You’ll help Dave with his drums right?” Charles asked.

“Oh, yeah, of course,” Rupert said, nuzzling Charles’ forehead.

“Yuck, love fest… do I have to help set up too?” Ace asked.

“You will if you want to listen in,” Violin piped up, causing the others to jump.

“Unless you wanna go back and face Nicole. Or apologize to her…” Amelia said, narrowing her eyes at him.

“I’ll help, I’ll help! Just let me give this back to Mr. Clef first…” Ace muttered, putting the guitar back in it’s case.

The group began to help set up the stage with the amps, microphones, and of course, Dave’s drum set, which seemed like a bit much for him. Rupert commented that he really didn’t need this much as Dave blushed, saying that Amelia had gotten it for him and he didn’t want to turn it down.

Finally, the band was set up as Charles started to tune his guitar, Amelia working with her bass as Dave checked his drums. The doors were wide open, so anyone who happened to walk by could listen in, but Burt in his office noticed the commotion through the cameras and decided to finally test out the new system he had a couple of the tech Toppats set up. He flicked a couple of switches on his dashboard, causing a bit of screeching sound to play throughout the manor.

“Testing, testing… my that’s loud, isn’t it?” Charles said, not realizing what was going on. Amelia was suddenly steaming up a bit as Ace got up front and center, Violin trying to put some ear protection in his ears. Accordion sat next to his husband, almost looking up expectantly as Charles glanced at Amelia and then Dave.

“Let’s play ‘I’d Do Anything.’ I like singing that song,” Amelia said.

“OK, let’s start with that!” Charles said, “Ready?” Dave nodded his head as he counted them off, Charles already playing with vigor and feeling as Amelia began to sing the song. Rupert smiled, feeling sort of happy as he glanced up at his boyfriend playing on stage, singing that backup vocals as the song echoed through the Toppat manor.

A couple of Toppats passing by ended up growing curious, walking in to listen in on the song.

But while that was happening, the Toppats of the manor bobbing along to the music as they worked or talked amongst themselves, a shadow slipped through the halls, stepping carefully to make sure it wasn’t noticed.

It quietly flitted from wall to wall until it finally managed to reach the top floor of the manor, where the hall of leaders was. It stopped briefly in front of the portrait of Jaques as his form became a bit more corporeal.

He was wearing a pink top hat with a very loud feather in it, bright pink clothes that glittered and sparkled, his eyes hiding behind ladder shades as he listened to the song echoing through the halls.

“Not bad… but not what I’m here for…” he muttered quietly to himself as he clapped his hands in front of him, a magic symbol appearing below his feet as he concentrated. He saw a faint yellow glow from the painting and smiled, knowing exactly what was going on.

“C’mon Jaques, baby, we can make this work…” he muttered as he concentrated even more, feeling a splitting headache coming on. Maybe it was the music that was playing, or the pure determination in his heart, but finally, a hand popped out from the portrait. Not a ghostly hand, but a human one. The man grinned, but he knew he couldn’t stop there as he continued to concentrate as the hand grabbed the edge of the frame, as if Jaques was trying to pull himself out.

Finally, after a bit of struggle, he managed to surface his head, gasping as he looked to see who it was.

“Randy?” he whispered.

“Long time no see,” Randy said through gritted teeth.

“Grab my hand!” Jaques shouted. Randy grabbed one of Jaques’ hands as he pulled him, still concentrating on the spell as he successfully pulled him from the painting. Jaques suddenly shouted as the painting suddenly exploded, shaking the hall as Randy held onto Jaques tightly, feeling tears in his eyes.

It was just as the song ended too. Charles played the last bar and just as the Toppats in the room were about to cheer, the explosion occurred. Everyone was suddenly talking as Burt panicked, turning off the intercom system in the music room and scanning the security cameras. He had to admit, it was partially his fault this had happened.

Reginald and the Right Hand Man burst out of their office meanwhile as a couple of Toppats made their way upstairs to see Randy and Jaques, looking at each other as Jaques felt his magic strength regaining once again.

“Welcome back, Jaques,” Randy said softly as he nuzzled him.

“Randy?!” They jumped when the suddenly realized what was going on. They looked up to see Reginald, a look of malice in his eyes as he approached him.

“You dare show your face here again after everything you’ve done!?” Reginald shouted, “I can’t believe you!”

“Randy, what’s he-?” Jaques started as Randy grabbed Jaques’ hand a pulled him to the end of the hall.

“Forget that! Just teleport us out of here!”

“WHERE?!”

“ANYWHERE!?”

“You’re not going to escape!!” Reginald shouted as Jaques concentrated his magic and decided the safest bet was to teleport them at least 10 miles from their location. He clapped his hands and in a puff of red smoke, Randy and Jaques vanished.

“DAD!!” Amelia shouted as she ran down the hall, “Is everything OK?”

Reginald stared blankly at the empty spot where Randy and Jaques had been as he turned to the now growing crowd of Toppats.

“Amelia, tell Charles and Dave it’s time for them to go home. Everyone else, I need you to fan out and find those two! They can’t have gone far!” Reginald shouted.

“What!? But we haven’t-!” Charles started as Amelia started to push him and Dave towards the roof.

“No point arguing dude. He’s in one of his moods!” Amelia said as Charles tried to object and Dave meekly followed behind her.

Rupert finally managed to get to the top floor as Ace followed closely behind, clearly excited.

“What’s going on, what happened?!” Ace shouted.

“I’ll tell you what happened! Randy decided to show his ugly mug here again after everything he’s done!” Five Eyes shouted, “C’mon Rupert, we’ve gotta study the magic aura of the spell they used. Maybe it can help us figure out where they went!” Rupert nodded his head as he followed his mentor to the end of the hall.

“Hey, Jaques’ painting is gone!” Ace shouted. Rupert gasped as he glanced down the hall, running towards where the painting was and saw the frame completely destroyed, the canvas missing as a burned scorch mark was right in front of the place where his uncle’s portrait was.

“...Uncle Jaques?” Rupert whispered, feeling the magic aura in the air.

- - - - -

Jaques, meanwhile, was hiding in an alleyway in West Mesa, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible as he clutched a cube with a glowing yellow aura. He clutched his other hand as he glanced back at Randy, who was laying back against the wall, seemingly exhausted as he looked up at Jaques.

“Jaques, baby… you have no idea how much I missed you…” Randy said softly.

“Of course, but what you did was dangerous! You should have just taken my painting and ran!” Jaques scolded as Randy sighed.

“I’m sorry. I guess I was in such a rush, I didn’t really think straight. I wanted to see you again so badly…” Randy said, “I hope they can forgive me for that much.”

“Speaking of which, they seemed to be pretty upset with you for another reason. What happened while I was gone?!” Jaques shouted. Randy winced as he glanced up at the sky, gulping as he looked down before shaking his head.

“I was just… so miserable. I thought… if I just partied my way through my troubles, it wouldn’t hurt as bad. Losing you, I mean. I know you were just trapped in the painting, but I couldn’t talk to you, I couldn’t communicate with you. I missed you so badly, you have no idea, I’m sorry, I was a disappointment to you in the clan and I was a disappointment to you as a right hand, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m-” he was suddenly interrupted as Jaques locked his lips to Randy’s, feeling a wave of comfort and relief going through his body.

“I’m sorry. I wish I hadn’t gone after my sister, but the Masquerade… they wanted to hurt her,” Jaques said, “I feel awful for disappearing the way I did. I shouldn’t have left you behind… I’m sorry…”

“Jaques…”

“Randy…”

They held each other tightly, sobbing and crying as they felt warmer then before, almost safe and comfortable in the dark alley they were in. They stayed like that for a few minutes before they finally let go of each other.

“So, what should we do now?” Jaques asked.

“I have a hideout in Stickopolis we can crash at. However, I need to my magic strength back up. After all, you don’t know where it is,” Randy said.

“Well, I have my magic power. And thankfully, I can keep us hidden until you regain your strength,” Jaques said, already summoning forth his magic, “Concentrate on getting your strength back. I’ll protect you. I promise.”

As a small shield went over them, a pillow and some blankets being summon under and above Randy, he walked over to caress his cheek.

Randy smiled, feeling happier then he had ever been in the past twenty years.

[celestie0]

Hi ellie sweetie im so sorry abt that anon and that u receive that kind of pressure regularly

You and your mutual did not deserve that bullshit

If you dont mind tagging their account then id like to check it out im sure their a very talented writer just like you

You’ve built this platform for yourself and us and im very proud of you seriously I find it incredible what you do because again i’ve sent an ask previously about how much I adore kickoff it’s literally become the love of my life rn and it hurts that it’s not published bc obviously I want to have my favourite book displayed on a shelf

I’m so grateful that I discovered this gem (and you too 😘) meanwhile your just another human being somewhere else in the world living your own life and choosing to share your work with us for free and that’s not something that should be taken for granted so ty bby for giving us your time and gracing us with your immaculate brain (*smooches* 🧠)

anyway it was probably just some bratty little 13 year olds sending those kinds of asks because they haven’t yet figured out that the world doesn’t revolve around them so please don’t let it get to you

Tbh I was wondering why you hadn’t been responding to asks very recently but only because interacting with you has become a cute little part of my day so I was just a little bummed to not hear from you

Mainly I just panicked that I’d accidentally been blocked or something lol

and ofc I’ve been waiting for chapter 11 of kickoff and also the ihm update as well and I’m really excited for that but you take your time love it’s your precious work

hi babe!! i saw your follow up ask too and yes indeed my mutual is the one that writes symptoms & causes!! @/lostfracturess <3 HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE SERIES IT’s one of my FAVE fics ever!!

omg idk why but u saying you are proud of me hit me in my titty 😭💕 in like a wholesome way LOL…yea these entitled anons can make us feel like slaves sometimes but thank you for giving me a feeling of being proud of my platform i’ve built n my works too :”) that’s so sweet. and PLS tysm for the love for kickoff too aaa <33

it’s my pleasure to share my works w my lovely readers like you :”) it’s hard to stay positive w hate n negtivity but i remind myself most of my readers are literally walking angels on earth so PLEASE!! i should be thanking YOU!!

and hahah yes darling also referring to your follow up ask, i was just a lil busy on vacation so i’ve been hella behind on asks 💀 sorry to cause any concern!! i’m so happy to hear interacting w me is a cute part of your day pls 😭💕 you’re adorable

i’m so glad you’re looking forward to my updates bb <3 so sorry this ask took me a while to respomd to but i had such a huge smile on my face when i read it for the first tiem :”) sm love from me <33

[cultbossborgs]

... okay but what if Danny later joined the JL. Or the JL had to team up with him and like.

Marvel: You feel familiar... Excuse me so much if I'm wrong, but do you have an evil twin?

Danny: I really do not like what you're implying about clones, or how you came to know about her but Ellie-

Marvel: WAIT NO! No it's just that I have some head-mates, and you look a lot like one of them feels like they look like, ok!

Danny: Oh I'm sorry for assuming! I didn't know you were a system, is there anything you would want me to do?

Marvel: Ah, not those types of head mates, but it's cool you're chill about it. It's like. I have these spirits that'll give me their advice or strength. But there's one that's just a bit weird.

Danny: Uhu, yeah I get you. Sometimes the watcher over the time stream pulls me out of it to make me fix up something or other.

Marvel: Well anyway, thanks for the talk, I was just wondering. You and Dan are really different when it comes down to it-

Danny: ...Dan?

Marvel: Yeah, that's his name.

Danny: Is he... bad?

Marvel: No, but I don't listen to his advice a lot. He's just kind of weird, you know. Has very specific knowledge, from the Cosmos to how to very quickly take out the entire JL-

Danny, now panicking a little: Ah good good, yes I see very weird can you just lemme- *Does some Ghost King shit to visibly "summon" Dan*

Dan: Ah. Hello.

Danny: I knew you were still serving but What. How did you end up in Marvel's head?

Marvel: DAN WHY DO YOU LOOK LIKE PHANTOM???

Danny & Dan: *visibly looks uncomfortable* We don't want to talk about it.

Marvel: Okay then. Anything I do need to know?

Dan: Well. Danny over here is about the same age as me, and my job is a little difficult because you never follow my advice.

Danny: Aincents, I wonder why.

Dan: ANYWAY, Danny?

Danny: Yeah?

Dan: How's that protection instinct of yours doing these days?

Danny: It's nothing you have to worry about certainly.

Dan, serious: Good, I'm just making sure. Billy over here is 11 years old, an orphan and homeless. You know how to take care of a child with way too much responsibility along with the powers of Gods.

Danny: Ah I see. You know Dan, community service has done you... good.

Dan: Getting my ass beat by you was a start.

Meanwhile: Billy inwardly panicking.

Basically my idea is that Danny and Dan have a bit of a really weird reunion. Also I love the idea that Danny's and Dan's knowledge is quite similar, but Danny has actually good hero advice for Billy.

DPXDC Community Service Mentor

After Dan's redemption arc and subsequent chilling out, the observants still feel he hasn't paid back for what he ruined, and decided that rather than incarcerate a perfectly nice guy, he's going to have mandatory community service.

And thus, Dan Phantom is shunted off into the mentor program for shitty powerhouses known as Marvel Duty.

So when Billy Batson is chosen and meets his new head mates, he's faced with morally questionable mythical figures such as Zeus, Hercules, Solomon, Atlas, Achilles, Mercury and,,, some guy named Dan???? Who, for the record, gives horrible life advice.

-

Billy: Batman kinda scares me.

Dan: oh, he's one of the easier ones, actually. Just go after him first real quick when he has no reason to suspect you, worked real well.

Billy, very concerned: ...what?

Dan, doesn't realize how insane that was: what?

-

Billy: How do I get rid of this rogue? He's really persistent!

Dan: kill him.

Billy: NO!

-

Dan: That rich guy, the Wayne one.

Billy: yeah?

Dan: don't let him get your genetic material, crazy billionaires are an epidemic.

Billy: what the hell happened to you?

-

Flash: so what were the crusades like, did you participate on either side?

Billy, put on the spot and panicking: uhhhh

Dan: say you were in China, Kublai Khan was trying to relive his grandfather's glory.

Billy awkward as hell: oh I was in China for that. Kublai and all that jazz.

Billy: were you alive in ancient China? You sound American?

Dan: I am, time travel.

Billy, confused: oh...

[missperfectlyfinewrites]

@whileurmine // ellie & frank

Ow.

One moment everything was fine, the next, it hurt. It took Ellie a moment to realise what had actually happened. It wasn't until panicked voices on the street and sirens echoed in the distance, that she'd some what figured it out.

A car crash. It wasn't her fault. She didn't think it was her fault? They'd come from the side, or behind her, and just crash. Her poor car. Her first thought was ow and then her poor car. It hurt to move. Ellie wasn't quite sure she could get her seatbelt off. She wasn't sure if she was meant to.

"Help is coming," echoed from the street. "You'll be okay, Ellie," another voice - maybe from the sweet old lady who owned the corner store in town? Ellie couldn't quite tell, but everybody kind of knew everybody. Her bottom lip quivered and tears danced in the corners of her eyes, and things hurt, but she just had to wait, right?

Meanwhile, over the police radio, "Car accident on the corner of Kennedy & Marshall. Can somebody please run the following license plates?" A pause then a call out of the two different license plates. "Ambulances are on their way, caller in says that blonde female in her late twenties is injured. Awake but injured. We've asked them to not move her from the car. Other driver, a male, caller in says he is cause of crash, doesn't seem to be too injured, will still check out. Priority is getting the road blocked off and an ambulance to the female,"

[onebigerror]

@nomorerhyme​   asked    :    “   this   cannot   be   happening   "    (    ellie   to   liv   )

                    is   she   fucking   serious   right   now   ?   ?   ?     their   plane   just   crashed   and   ellie   is   just   sitting   on   a   stump   feeling   sorry   for   herself   and   not   doing   a   single   damn   thing   to   help .     meanwhile   ,   olivia   is   in   overdrive .     she’s   running   around   like   a   chicken   with   its   head   cut   off   ,   doing   her   best   to   provide   assistance   where   she   can   and   trying   to   lead   the   others   into   keeping   a   level   head .     panicking   doesn’t   do   anything   but   lead   to   more   panic   and   chaos .     you   know   what   else   doesn’t   help   ?     doing   absolutely   fucking   nothing   ,   which   is   precisely   what   ellie   is   doing .     reaching   down   ,   liv   roughly   grabs   ellie   by   the   arm   and   yanks   her   up   off   her   tree   stump   ,    ❛   yeah   ,   well   ,   it   is .     so   ,   get   off   your   fucking   ass   and   do   something   t’   help   instead   of   just   sitting   there .   ❜    she   doesn’t   care   if   it’s   harsh   ,   but   it   needs   to   be   said .

@laebyrinths

unfortunately, ellie was serious. serious as a fucking heart attack. why should she have to do anything? she wasn't even supposed to be there. if she didn't get tired of listening to her sister beg about nationals and cave she wouldn't be! when it came to chrissy there wasn't much that ellie would say no to. and this is where it landed her. in the fucking middle of a fucking forrest god knows where. with a sprained ankle that misty had told her to keep elevated. advice she'd promptly disregarded in favor of sitting on the tree stump to complain to anyone that would listen. liv was doing enough work for three people so that just gave ellie more incentive to do absolutely nothing. what she wasn't expecting was for liv to yank her clear off the ground. the others had merely looked at her and rolled their eyes. this was brutality and she intended to tell her sister about that once she found her again! "hey! careful! i hurt my ankle. crazy, axe-wielding, psycho girl told me to sit." not exactly but she was going with it. "you'll make it hurt worse!"

[bluerosefox]

Protecting Family

Hmmm

I'm on a Danny is Dick's child kick rn so I'm making more.

But lets add in some Ghost King Danny!, Dad to a deaged Ellie and Dan! And toddler Mar'i Grayson.

Danny was conceived during Dick's amnesia year when he was Ric and the woman couldn't find him to tell him (or maybe the Owls caught wind of the pregnancy and took her) and he ended up somehow (hmmm maybe a meddling time keeper?) with the Fentons.

Danny grows as a Fenton, he knows he was adopted btw, then becomes Phantom, protects Amity, becomes the Ghost King and things seem to be going okay between Amity Parkers and the Infinite Realms since they took care of the GIW problem, AND has been a good doting teen dad to his deaged 'cousins/clones' turned kids.

Danny was going to go pick his kids up from daycare one day when CHAOS happens. Just as he wrangles Ellie onto his shoulders, cause she wants to be tall today, and about to take Dan's hand cause he's and I quote "A big boy and not a baby like Ellie, Dad!" he suddenly feels the tug of his family being in danger.

Thing is, its a blood related danger. Meaning someone blood related to him was in grave danger, and by the emotions he can feel, its someone young, way younger than him.

Problem.

The only people Danny knows with his blood in their veins and are young enough for the feeling are with him.

So who?

But due to Danny being a protector spirit AND knowing the feeling is from someone as young as his own kids, Danny decides to use his Ghost King Powers to summon said person from the danger to him.

Danny opens his free arms out just as a tiny toddler with black hair like his own but with bright green eyes, even the sclera were green, in a ruined party dress drops from the sky from the summoning circle that had opened above him.

Danny stares at the terrified child, whose hands are tied by rope and was crying, and takes notes of certain traits she had that he saw every time in the mirror or on his own kids, same eye shape and cheekbones. He can tell his ghost core has claimed her as family but not as his kid though.

No the connection that formed was almost like his connection with Jazz but a bit stronger.

This kid, was his sister. His blood related one.

-Meanwhile-

Dick Grayson, aka Nightwing, and his family were freaking the fuck out.

Dick was already panicked when his daughter Mar'i had gotten kidnapped just a few hours ago by the Joker.

Now he was feeling pure dread when his daughter, who was about to be killed, was suddenly pulled into a strange glowing circle at the last minute and disappeared into thin air.